Publication Ethics

PUBLICATION ETHICS AND MALPRACTICE STATEMENT

Journal of Computation Science and Artificial Intelligence (JCSAI)
Publisher: PT Berkah Digital Teknologi
Last updated: August 2026

Introduction

The Journal of Computation Science and Artificial Intelligence, hereafter referred to as JCSAI, is committed to maintaining the integrity, transparency, accountability, and quality of scholarly publishing.

This Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement applies to all parties involved in the publication process, including the publisher, Editor-in-Chief, managing editors, section editors, editorial board members, reviewers, authors, contributors, and other parties participating in the editorial and publication process.

This policy is informed by internationally recognized principles of publication ethics, including guidance issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and other relevant scholarly publishing standards. Reference to these standards does not imply organizational membership unless such membership is expressly stated on the journal website.

All editorial decisions shall be based on academic merit, relevance to the journal’s scope, methodological soundness, originality, ethical compliance, and the results of an independent peer-review process.

1. Ethical Principles

JCSAI conducts its editorial and publication activities according to the following principles:

  1. Integrity
    Research findings, data, methods, citations, authorship information, editorial records, and publication decisions must be presented honestly and accurately.

  2. Academic independence
    Editorial decisions must be free from commercial, institutional, political, personal, or other inappropriate influence.

  3. Fairness and impartiality
    Manuscripts shall be evaluated without discrimination based on nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, institutional affiliation, political belief, disability, seniority, or personal relationship.

  4. Confidentiality
    Unpublished manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial discussions, and personal information obtained during the editorial process shall be treated as confidential.

  5. Transparency
    The journal shall clearly disclose its ownership, publisher, editorial structure, peer-review process, publication schedule, fees, copyright policy, licensing terms, and procedures for handling ethical concerns.

  6. Accountability
    Authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher are responsible for their respective roles in maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.

  7. Due process
    Allegations of misconduct shall be investigated fairly. No party shall be sanctioned solely on the basis of an unverified allegation.

  8. Correction of the scholarly record
    Errors or misconduct affecting published work shall be addressed through corrections, retractions, expressions of concern, or other appropriate notices.

2. Responsibilities of the Publisher

PT Berkah Digital Teknologi, as the publisher of JCSAI, is responsible for supporting the integrity, sustainability, accessibility, and accountability of the journal.

The publisher shall:

  1. respect and protect the editorial independence of JCSAI;

  2. provide appropriate technological, administrative, and publication support;

  3. ensure that ownership and management information is publicly available;

  4. ensure that publication fees and payment procedures are stated transparently;

  5. prevent commercial considerations from influencing editorial decisions;

  6. maintain the journal website, publication archive, and article metadata;

  7. support long-term digital preservation and accessibility of published content;

  8. protect personal information and confidential editorial records;

  9. support investigations into allegations of publication misconduct;

  10. facilitate the publication of corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern when required;

  11. ensure that journal policies accurately reflect actual editorial practices;

  12. avoid misleading claims concerning accreditation, indexing, impact, editorial services, or publication speed;

  13. ensure that payments, advertising, sponsorship, or institutional relationships do not determine whether a manuscript is accepted or rejected; and

  14. maintain a clear separation between commercial administration and academic decision-making.

The publisher shall not guarantee manuscript acceptance, accreditation recognition, indexing, citation performance, or publication outcomes in exchange for payment.

3. Editorial Independence

The Editor-in-Chief and the designated editorial team have full authority over the academic evaluation of submitted manuscripts.

Decisions to accept, request revision, reject, correct, or retract an article shall be based on:

  • relevance to the aims and scope of JCSAI;

  • originality and scientific contribution;

  • methodological and analytical quality;

  • reliability of the evidence;

  • ethical compliance;

  • clarity of presentation;

  • peer-review reports; and

  • the integrity of the scholarly record.

The owner, publisher, sponsor, advertiser, institutional partner, or commercial division shall not interfere with individual editorial decisions.

Payment of an Article Processing Charge does not guarantee acceptance or preferential treatment. No publication fee shall be used as a consideration during the peer-review or editorial decision-making process.

When an editor submits a manuscript to JCSAI, that editor shall have no involvement in the review or decision process. The manuscript shall be assigned to another qualified editor who has no relevant conflict of interest.

4. Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for protecting the quality, credibility, confidentiality, and integrity of the editorial process.

Editors shall:

  1. evaluate manuscripts fairly and solely on academic grounds;

  2. conduct an initial assessment of scope, originality, quality, ethical compliance, and completeness;

  3. ensure that manuscripts undergo an appropriate peer-review process;

  4. select reviewers with relevant subject expertise;

  5. avoid assigning reviewers with known conflicts of interest;

  6. protect the identities of authors and reviewers under the journal’s double-blind review model;

  7. maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and editorial communications;

  8. avoid using unpublished information for personal research or advantage;

  9. make decisions independently and provide appropriate reasons for editorial decisions;

  10. consider reviewer recommendations critically rather than automatically;

  11. ensure that authors are given a reasonable opportunity to respond to reviewer comments;

  12. investigate credible allegations of misconduct;

  13. publish corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern when necessary;

  14. withdraw from handling a manuscript when a conflict of interest exists;

  15. avoid discrimination, favoritism, retaliation, and coercion;

  16. prevent inappropriate citation requests;

  17. ensure that accepted manuscripts have completed copyediting, layout, metadata checking, and proofreading;

  18. maintain adequate records of submission, review, revision, and decision processes; and

  19. protect the scholarly record after publication.

Editors must not disclose information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, assigned reviewers, relevant editorial staff, and other persons directly involved in the editorial process.

Editors shall not upload confidential manuscripts, reviewer reports, or author information to public generative artificial intelligence systems or other external services that do not provide adequate confidentiality and data protection.

5. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers assist editors in evaluating the scientific quality, originality, relevance, methodological rigor, and clarity of submitted manuscripts.

Reviewers shall:

  1. accept a review assignment only when they possess appropriate expertise;

  2. complete the review within the agreed period;

  3. decline the assignment when unable to provide a timely or competent review;

  4. disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest;

  5. evaluate the manuscript objectively and constructively;

  6. provide evidence-based comments that help authors improve the manuscript;

  7. avoid personal criticism, offensive language, discriminatory remarks, or unsubstantiated accusations;

  8. maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript and review process;

  9. not share the manuscript or review task with another person without editorial permission;

  10. not use unpublished data, ideas, methods, code, figures, or findings for personal benefit;

  11. identify substantial similarities with previously published or submitted work when known;

  12. identify important relevant literature that may have been overlooked;

  13. avoid requesting citations merely to increase the reviewer’s own citations or those of associates, institutions, or preferred journals;

  14. clearly distinguish mandatory scientific concerns from optional suggestions;

  15. inform the editor of suspected plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, unethical research, or other misconduct; and

  16. treat all review materials as confidential documents.

Reviewers must not upload submitted manuscripts or parts of manuscripts into public generative AI systems. Reviewers remain personally responsible for the accuracy, fairness, originality, and confidentiality of their reports.

The journal may edit reviewer comments to remove offensive language, personal data, confidentiality breaches, or content unrelated to scholarly evaluation. Substantive changes should not alter the reviewer’s scientific conclusions without appropriate communication.

6. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for the accuracy, originality, legality, ethical compliance, and integrity of their submitted and published work.

Authors shall:

  1. submit original work that has not been published elsewhere;

  2. ensure that the manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal;

  3. present methods, data, analysis, and findings honestly and accurately;

  4. provide sufficient methodological detail to permit evaluation or replication where applicable;

  5. retain relevant data, code, instruments, consent documents, and ethical approvals;

  6. provide access to supporting materials when reasonably requested by editors;

  7. appropriately cite all sources, methods, software, datasets, and prior studies used;

  8. obtain permission for copyrighted materials;

  9. ensure that all listed authors meet the journal’s authorship criteria;

  10. obtain approval from all authors before submission;

  11. disclose funding sources and conflicts of interest;

  12. disclose previous dissemination through preprints, conference papers, repositories, theses, or other formats;

  13. disclose the use of generative AI tools when required by this policy;

  14. obtain ethical approval and informed consent where applicable;

  15. protect the privacy and confidentiality of research participants;

  16. respond to reviewer and editor comments professionally;

  17. promptly notify the journal of significant errors discovered before or after publication;

  18. cooperate with ethical investigations; and

  19. avoid actions intended to manipulate peer review, citation counts, authorship, editorial decisions, or indexing systems.

Authors must not submit falsified documents, fabricated reviewer identities, manipulated author information, false institutional affiliations, inaccurate ethical approval details, or misleading funding statements.

The corresponding author is responsible for communication with the journal and for ensuring that all authors approve the submitted version, revisions, authorship information, declarations, and final proof.

7. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship must reflect substantial intellectual contribution and accountability.

A person should be listed as an author only when that person has:

  1. made a substantial contribution to the conception, design, data collection, software development, analysis, interpretation, or another significant part of the study;

  2. drafted the manuscript or critically revised it for important intellectual content;

  3. approved the final version to be published; and

  4. agreed to be accountable for the integrity and accuracy of the work.

All four conditions should normally be satisfied.

Activities such as providing funding, administrative supervision, access to facilities, routine technical assistance, language editing, data entry, or general encouragement alone do not justify authorship. Such contributions may be acknowledged with the contributor’s permission.

JCSAI encourages authors to describe individual contributions using the CRediT Contributor Roles Taxonomy or another transparent contributorship statement.

The following practices are prohibited:

  • gift or honorary authorship;

  • guest authorship;

  • ghost authorship;

  • purchasing or selling authorship positions;

  • adding authors who made no substantial contribution;

  • excluding individuals who meet authorship criteria;

  • changing the author list without the knowledge of all authors; and

  • misrepresenting author affiliations or contributions.

Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after submission must:

  1. be submitted in writing by the corresponding author;

  2. explain the reason for the change;

  3. include written consent from all existing and proposed authors; and

  4. receive editorial approval.

Authorship changes after acceptance or publication will be considered only in exceptional circumstances and may require a formal correction notice.

8. Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest exists when personal, professional, financial, institutional, academic, political, intellectual, or other relationships could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, a person’s judgment.

Authors

Authors must disclose all relevant conflicts of interest, including:

  • employment or consultancy relationships;

  • financial interests;

  • grants and sponsorship;

  • patents and intellectual property;

  • paid expert testimony;

  • institutional relationships;

  • personal relationships;

  • academic competition;

  • ideological commitments; and

  • other circumstances that may affect interpretation of the work.

A declaration must be included even when no conflict exists.

Reviewers

Reviewers must decline an assignment when they have a relationship that could compromise impartiality, including:

  • recent collaboration with an author;

  • direct institutional affiliation;

  • supervisory or student relationships;

  • personal relationships;

  • financial interests;

  • direct academic competition; or

  • prior involvement in the manuscript.

Editors

Editors must recuse themselves from manuscripts involving their own work, close colleagues, current students, institutional units, family members, collaborators, competitors, or other parties with whom they have a relevant conflict.

Disclosure of a conflict does not automatically imply misconduct. Failure to disclose a relevant conflict may result in editorial action, correction, rejection, retraction, or another proportionate response.

9. Research Ethics

Authors must conduct and report research in accordance with applicable laws, institutional requirements, professional standards, and accepted ethical principles.

Research involving humans

Research involving human participants, personal data, interviews, observations, behavioral experiments, biometric information, health-related information, or identifiable online activity must obtain appropriate ethical approval or exemption where required.

The manuscript must state:

  • the name of the approving ethics committee or institution;

  • the approval or exemption number, where available;

  • the approval date, where applicable; and

  • how informed consent was obtained.

Informed consent must be obtained when required. Identifiable information, photographs, recordings, or case details must not be published without appropriate consent.

Research involving animals

Research involving animals must comply with applicable institutional and national animal welfare standards. Relevant ethical approval and humane procedures must be reported.

Computing, data, and artificial intelligence research

Research involving datasets, social media data, web scraping, biometric systems, surveillance technologies, location data, cybersecurity testing, vulnerable groups, or automated decision-making must appropriately address:

  • privacy;

  • informed consent or lawful data use;

  • data minimization;

  • security;

  • potential harm;

  • fairness and discrimination;

  • algorithmic bias;

  • transparency;

  • responsible disclosure; and

  • applicable platform or dataset terms.

Cybersecurity research must not expose individuals, organizations, systems, or infrastructure to unnecessary harm. Vulnerabilities should be reported responsibly, and sensitive technical information may be limited when disclosure would create a material security risk.

Public availability of data does not automatically remove all ethical responsibilities. Authors must consider reasonable expectations of privacy and potential harm.

10. Data Fabrication and Falsification

JCSAI prohibits fabrication, falsification, and deceptive manipulation of research materials.

Fabrication

Fabrication includes creating data, respondents, experiments, observations, results, code outputs, citations, ethical approvals, or other research information that did not exist.

Falsification

Falsification includes manipulating research materials, equipment, software, processes, images, datasets, statistical analyses, or results so that the research is inaccurately represented.

Prohibited practices include:

  • inventing or duplicating observations;

  • altering data without scientific justification;

  • removing inconvenient results without disclosure;

  • presenting simulated or synthetic data as real empirical data;

  • manipulating images or figures in a misleading manner;

  • changing statistical results to support a preferred conclusion;

  • reporting tests that were not conducted;

  • misrepresenting algorithm performance;

  • fabricating software, source code, or experimental outputs;

  • omitting significant methodological limitations; and

  • selectively reporting results in a misleading way.

Legitimate data cleaning, image adjustment, preprocessing, simulation, synthetic-data generation, or exclusion procedures must be methodologically justified and transparently reported.

When requested, authors must provide the journal with relevant raw data, code, output files, protocols, or supporting documentation, subject to ethical, legal, confidentiality, and intellectual-property limitations.

11. Plagiarism and Text Recycling

All submitted manuscripts may be screened using similarity-detection software and editorial assessment.

Plagiarism includes presenting another person’s words, ideas, methods, data, code, images, results, or intellectual contributions without proper acknowledgment.

Prohibited conduct includes:

  • direct copying without quotation and citation;

  • close paraphrasing without attribution;

  • copying figures, tables, code, or datasets without permission or citation;

  • translating another work and presenting it as original;

  • appropriating unpublished ideas obtained through peer review;

  • using fabricated or misleading citations; and

  • submitting content produced by another party without acknowledgment.

Text recycling or self-plagiarism occurs when authors reuse substantial parts of their own previously published work without appropriate citation, quotation, or disclosure.

Limited reuse of standard methodological language may be considered when unavoidable, but it must not mislead readers concerning originality. Authors should cite related publications and explain the relationship between the submitted manuscript and their previous work.

Similarity percentages are screening indicators and are not the sole basis for determining plagiarism. Editors shall assess the location, nature, context, attribution, and significance of the overlap.

Manuscripts containing substantial plagiarism may be rejected. Plagiarism discovered after publication may result in a correction, retraction, notification to relevant institutions, or another appropriate action.

12. Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Authors must not submit the same manuscript simultaneously to JCSAI and another journal.

Duplicate publication occurs when substantially the same work is published more than once without transparent disclosure, citation, or legitimate justification.

Redundant publication includes dividing one study into multiple minimally differentiated articles or republishing the same data, analysis, and conclusions without substantial new contribution.

Authors must disclose related:

  • journal manuscripts;

  • conference papers;

  • proceedings articles;

  • preprints;

  • theses or dissertations;

  • repository versions;

  • technical reports;

  • working papers; and

  • other publications based on the same dataset or study.

A preprint does not automatically prevent submission to JCSAI, provided that:

  1. the preprint is disclosed during submission;

  2. the preprint record is cited or identified where appropriate;

  3. the manuscript is not subject to incompatible copyright restrictions; and

  4. the authors update the preprint record after formal publication when possible.

An extended version of a conference paper may be considered only when it contains substantial additional scholarly contribution, such as new data, methods, analysis, validation, theoretical development, or interpretation. The earlier conference publication must be cited and disclosed in the cover letter.

Authors must not conceal overlapping publications or submit translated versions of previously published work as new original articles.

13. Citation Manipulation

Citations must be selected for scholarly relevance and must accurately support the statements for which they are used.

The following practices are prohibited:

  • adding irrelevant references to increase citation counts;

  • excessive self-citation without scholarly justification;

  • coordinated citation exchange;

  • citation cartels;

  • coercive citation requests;

  • citing articles that have not been read;

  • using citations that do not support the stated claim;

  • citing retracted work without clearly identifying its status; and

  • requiring citations to JCSAI, an editor, or a reviewer without a legitimate academic reason.

Reviewers may recommend additional literature only when it is directly relevant and materially improves the manuscript. Authors are not required to accept citation suggestions that are irrelevant, excessive, or designed primarily to benefit the reviewer.

Editors shall not condition acceptance on inappropriate citations.

14. Generative Artificial Intelligence Use

Generative artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot take responsibility, provide consent, manage conflicts of interest, or be accountable for the integrity of published work.

Use by authors

Authors may use generative AI tools only when their use is lawful, ethical, transparent, and appropriate to the research.

When generative AI has materially contributed to the manuscript, authors must disclose:

  • the name of the tool;

  • the version, where known;

  • the purpose of use;

  • the part of the work affected; and

  • how the output was checked and verified.

Disclosure may be included in the Methods, Acknowledgments, or a separate AI-use statement, depending on the nature of the use.

Material uses requiring disclosure include:

  • drafting or substantially rewriting text;

  • generating or modifying images;

  • producing or debugging code;

  • generating synthetic data;

  • performing analysis;

  • translating substantial content;

  • developing research instruments; or

  • producing interpretations or summaries used in the manuscript.

Basic spelling, grammar, formatting, or reference-management assistance provided by conventional software does not normally require disclosure.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

  • factual accuracy;

  • originality;

  • citations;

  • data integrity;

  • absence of plagiarism;

  • confidentiality;

  • copyright compliance;

  • bias and discriminatory content; and

  • the final published text.

AI-generated references, quotations, facts, code, datasets, or interpretations must be independently verified. Fabricated citations, false statements, manipulated images, or undisclosed AI-generated content may constitute publication misconduct.

AI-generated or AI-modified images may be accepted only when they are scientifically necessary, transparently described, ethically produced, legally usable, and not misleading. Decorative AI-generated images should not be presented as research evidence.

Use by reviewers and editors

Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential manuscripts, supplementary files, reviewer reports, author identities, or unpublished data to public generative AI tools.

Generative AI must not replace independent editorial or peer-review judgment. Editors and reviewers remain accountable for all comments, recommendations, and decisions issued under their names.

15. Corrections and Retractions

JCSAI is committed to preserving an accurate and reliable scholarly record.

Corrections

A correction may be issued when a published article contains an error that:

  • does not invalidate the main findings;

  • affects the interpretation, metadata, authorship, data presentation, or clarity of the article; or

  • requires a permanent public amendment.

Corrections shall be linked to the original article and clearly describe:

  • what was incorrect;

  • what has been corrected;

  • who requested the correction; and

  • whether the conclusions are affected.

Minor typographical errors that do not affect meaning may be corrected without a formal notice when editorially appropriate.

Retractions

An article may be retracted when there is reliable evidence of:

  • fabricated or falsified data;

  • plagiarism;

  • duplicate publication;

  • serious methodological error;

  • unethical research;

  • manipulated peer review;

  • unauthorized use of data or materials;

  • serious authorship misconduct;

  • unlawful or harmful content;

  • unreliable findings; or

  • another major breach that invalidates the article or substantially damages confidence in it.

A retracted article shall normally remain accessible as part of the scholarly record but will be clearly marked as retracted. The retraction notice shall be linked to the article and explain the reason for the retraction without defamatory or unnecessary language.

Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record and is not automatically a punishment.

Expression of concern

An expression of concern may be published when:

  • credible concerns have been raised;

  • an investigation is incomplete;

  • available evidence is inconclusive;

  • an institution has not completed its investigation; or

  • immediate notification is necessary to protect readers.

The journal may update or remove an expression of concern after the matter has been resolved.

16. Complaints and Appeals

JCSAI accepts complaints concerning:

  • editorial procedures;

  • reviewer conduct;

  • publication delays;

  • conflicts of interest;

  • alleged misconduct;

  • published content;

  • corrections or retractions;

  • discrimination or inappropriate communication;

  • journal policies; and

  • administrative or publication services.

Complaints should be submitted through the journal’s official contact channel and should include:

  • the complainant’s name and contact information;

  • the manuscript or article identification;

  • a clear description of the issue;

  • relevant evidence; and

  • the remedy requested, where applicable.

The journal will acknowledge a complaint, assess its relevance, and assign it to a person who is not directly involved in the matter.

Appeals against editorial decisions

Authors may appeal an editorial decision when they believe that:

  • a significant factual or procedural error occurred;

  • reviewer comments were materially misunderstood;

  • relevant evidence was overlooked;

  • a conflict of interest affected the decision; or

  • the journal’s stated procedure was not followed.

An appeal must:

  1. identify the manuscript;

  2. explain the grounds for appeal;

  3. respond to the relevant editorial or reviewer concerns;

  4. provide supporting evidence; and

  5. be written professionally.

An appeal is not a new opportunity to submit a substantially different manuscript. The journal may obtain an independent assessment. The outcome of the appeal shall be communicated in writing.

Normally, only one appeal will be considered for each editorial decision.

Complaints involving the Editor-in-Chief shall be handled by the publisher or an independent senior editor who was not involved in the original decision.

17. Investigation of Alleged Misconduct

JCSAI shall assess credible allegations concerning submitted or published work regardless of when the issue is raised.

Allegations may concern:

  • plagiarism;

  • fabrication or falsification;

  • duplicate submission;

  • authorship disputes;

  • manipulated peer review;

  • undisclosed conflicts of interest;

  • unethical research;

  • citation manipulation;

  • data or image manipulation;

  • misuse of generative AI;

  • false affiliations;

  • fraudulent ethical approval;

  • copyright infringement; or

  • other serious breaches.

The investigation process may include:

  1. preliminary assessment of the allegation;

  2. preservation of relevant editorial records;

  3. identification and management of conflicts of interest;

  4. confidential communication with the complainant;

  5. notification of the corresponding author or relevant party;

  6. an opportunity for the accused party to respond;

  7. examination of manuscripts, data, code, images, review records, and correspondence;

  8. consultation with independent experts;

  9. contact with the authors’ institution, ethics committee, funder, or another journal where appropriate;

  10. publication of an interim expression of concern when necessary;

  11. a documented editorial decision; and

  12. correction of the scholarly record.

Investigations shall be conducted confidentially to the extent reasonably possible. Information shall be shared only with parties who need it for a fair and effective investigation.

The journal will not normally adjudicate matters outside its competence, such as employment disputes or legal ownership claims. Such matters may be referred to relevant institutions or authorities.

Anonymous allegations may be considered when they contain specific and verifiable evidence.

Failure of an author, reviewer, or editor to respond does not automatically prove misconduct, but the journal may proceed based on available evidence.

18. Sanctions Following Due Process

Sanctions shall be imposed only after appropriate assessment and shall be proportionate to the seriousness, evidence, intent, impact, and recurrence of the conduct.

Possible actions include:

  1. requesting an explanation or clarification;

  2. issuing a formal warning;

  3. requiring correction of the manuscript;

  4. rejecting the manuscript;

  5. terminating the peer-review process;

  6. removing a reviewer from the reviewer database;

  7. removing an editor from handling a specific manuscript;

  8. publishing a correction;

  9. publishing an expression of concern;

  10. retracting a published article;

  11. notifying co-authors;

  12. notifying the author’s institution, ethics committee, or funder;

  13. notifying another affected journal;

  14. restricting future submissions for a defined period;

  15. withdrawing editorial or reviewer responsibilities; and

  16. taking other actions necessary to protect the scholarly record.

Before a significant sanction is imposed, the affected party will normally:

  • be informed of the concern;

  • receive a reasonable summary of the evidence;

  • have an opportunity to respond;

  • be informed of the decision; and

  • receive information about any available appeal procedure.

Restrictions shall not be imposed automatically according to a fixed formula. Each case shall be assessed individually.

The journal may take immediate interim action when necessary to protect research participants, confidential information, public safety, cybersecurity, legal rights, or the integrity of the editorial process.

19. Policy Application and Review

This policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to JCSAI and to all articles published by the journal.

Where a case is not expressly covered by this policy, the Editor-in-Chief and publisher may consult relevant guidance from recognized publication-ethics organizations, institutional ethics bodies, legal advisers, or independent experts.

JCSAI may revise this policy to reflect developments in scholarly publishing, research ethics, artificial intelligence, data governance, national regulations, and international best practices.

The version and date of the most recent update shall be displayed on the journal website.

Questions, complaints, appeals, corrections, and allegations of misconduct should be submitted through the official JCSAI contact page or the journal’s official editorial communication channel.