AI Tool Policy

For Authors, Reviewers, and Editors

Starting from 2025, every manuscript submitted to HEUTAGOGIA: Journal of Islamic Education must include a declaration describing the extent of self-determined learning engagement undertaken by the author(s) in preparing the article.

Introduction

In response to the dynamic transformation of global education and knowledge production in the digital era, HEUTAGOGIA: Journal of Islamic Education positions heutagogy as a foundational framework for advancing higher-order learning, intellectual autonomy, and transformative scholarship within Islamic education.

Heutagogy emphasizes learner agency, capability development, reflective inquiry, double-loop learning, and epistemic responsibility. Within the scope of this journal, these principles guide scholarly engagement that critically constructs, interrogates, and validates knowledge across diverse formal and non-formal educational settings.

The journal affirms that self-determined learning strengthens intellectual independence, critical inquiry, and methodological rigor in addressing contemporary educational challenges in Muslim societies. Nevertheless, scholarly autonomy must remain grounded in ethical standards, empirical verification, and peer-reviewed academic discourse.

Through this orientation, HEUTAGOGIA fosters rigorous, reflective, and socially responsive research that contributes to the advancement of Islamic education at local, national, and global levels.

General Principles

This policy aligns with prevailing international publishing standards adopted by major academic publishers such as Taylor & Francis and Elsevier concerning the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in scholarly communication.

The following principles regulate the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence within the journal’s academic processes:

  1. Artificial Intelligence cannot be listed as an author or co-author. Authorship entails intellectual accountability, legal responsibility, and consent for publication, which are exclusively human capacities.

  2. AI tools may function only as assistive instruments. They must not replace human intellectual responsibility, critical interpretation, or scholarly accountability.

  3. Transparency and accountability are mandatory. Any use of AI tools must be clearly disclosed and subject to human verification.

  4. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all submitted content, including any portion that has been AI-assisted.

  5. Confidentiality, data security, and intellectual property protection must be upheld at all times. Authors, reviewers, and editors are prohibited from uploading confidential manuscripts or unpublished data to non-secure or public AI platforms.

Policy for Authors

Prohibited Uses of AI

Consistent with international publishing ethics standards, authors are strictly prohibited from using AI tools for the following purposes:

  • Listing AI systems as authors or co-authors

  • Generating fabricated data, synthetic results, or falsified empirical materials

  • Manipulating research findings in ways that distort interpretation or misrepresent evidence

  • Uploading confidential datasets, peer-review materials, or unpublished manuscripts to public AI systems

  • Using AI to circumvent plagiarism detection, peer review, or editorial screening processes

AI use that compromises research integrity, misrepresents authorship, or undermines transparency constitutes academic misconduct.

Permitted Uses of AI

Under strict human supervision and post-validation, authors may use AI tools for limited and assistive purposes, including:

  • Grammar checking, proofreading, and stylistic refinement

  • Improving coherence, cohesion, and readability of author-written text

  • Supporting idea exploration, literature mapping, or coding assistance, provided outputs are critically reviewed

  • Assisting with translation for language clarity, without altering substantive meaning

AI tools may support drafting processes; however, authors must substantially review, revise, and take full responsibility for the final text. All AI-assisted outputs must be manually rechecked for accuracy, completeness, contextual relevance, and methodological consistency.

All AI-generated outputs must be manually rechecked for accuracy, completeness, contextual relevance, and methodological consistency. Validation by a qualified language or subject expert is strongly recommended.

Mandatory AI Disclosure Statement

Every manuscript must include one of the following declarations:

If no AI tools were used:

“This article is the original work of the author(s) and was produced without the use of any AI tools for writing, editing, or creating tables, figures, or images.”

If AI tools were used in a limited and controlled manner:

“The grammatical structure of this article was improved using [name and version of the AI tool]. The authors have manually rechecked the accuracy and appropriateness of the generated sentences, tables, and data in accordance with the topic and findings of this study. The language and data have been validated and verified by [name of expert or institution]. No AI-generated content has been included in the final version of this article.”

This disclosure must appear in the Acknowledgements or Methods section of journal articles, or in the Preface for book manuscripts.

Author Responsibility

Authors remain fully responsible for:

  • The originality, validity, and integrity of the manuscript

  • Ensuring that all AI-assisted processes are transparent and verifiable

  • Compliance with ethical, copyright, and data-protection standards

  • Confirming that AI tools did not alter the meaning, interpretation, or findings of the research

Policy for Reviewers

Reviewers are prohibited from using AI tools to read, summarize, evaluate, or generate analytical content from manuscripts under review. Uploading manuscripts, figures, or confidential data to AI platforms constitutes a serious breach of confidentiality and intellectual property rights.

Reviewers may use AI-based language-checking tools solely for proofreading their personal comments, not for evaluating manuscript content. Each reviewer is personally accountable for maintaining objectivity, accuracy, and confidentiality throughout the review process.

Policy for Editors

Editors must not upload manuscripts, author correspondence, or review files to public AI systems for translation, evaluation, or summarization. Editorial decisions must be made by human judgment, grounded in reviewers’ reports and the journal’s ethical guidelines.

If AI-based tools are employed for administrative purposes such as plagiarism detection or metadata analysis, such tools must be institutionally approved and compliant with data-protection regulations.

Ethical Considerations

All use of AI tools must adhere to the principles of scientific honesty, intellectual authenticity, human accountability, and ethical oversight. Transparency, fairness, and academic rigor remain fundamental standards in all editorial and scholarly processes.

Continuous education on AI ethics is encouraged to ensure that technological advancements support, rather than undermine, the integrity of Islamic scholarship.

Closing Statement

Artificial Intelligence is recognized as an assistive instrument, not a substitute for human intellect and moral responsibility. Ethical, transparent, and validated use of AI can enrich the academic ecosystem while preserving the intellectual and spiritual integrity of Islamic higher education scholarship.