Plagiarism and Generative AI

Plagiarism Policy

Journal of Economics and Business in the Global South (JEBGS)

Journal of Economics and Business in the Global South (JEBGS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity, originality, and ethical scholarship. All submissions must represent the authors’ original work and must be free from any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, redundant publication, and improper citation practices.

To ensure originality, all manuscripts are screened using Turnitin plagiarism detection software prior to the peer-review process. Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding acceptable limits will be returned to the authors for revision or rejected at the editorial stage.

Similarity Threshold

  • Recommended similarity index: maximum 20% (overall)
  • Similarity from a single source should not exceed 5%
  • Properly cited quotations and references are excluded from misconduct considerations

Editorial decisions are not based solely on similarity percentage but also consider context, citation accuracy, and overall academic integrity. Even manuscripts with low similarity scores may be rejected if plagiarism or unethical reuse is identified.

Types of Unacceptable Practices

  • Direct plagiarism (copying without proper attribution)
  • Mosaic plagiarism (patchwriting without adequate citation)
  • Self-plagiarism or duplicate submission/publication
  • Data fabrication or falsification
  • Inadequate acknowledgment of sources

Sanctions and Actions

If plagiarism is detected at any stage:

  • Before review: manuscript will be rejected
  • During review: review process will be terminated
  • After publication: article may be corrected or retracted in accordance with COPE guidelines

JEBGS reserves the right to notify authors’ affiliated institutions in cases of serious ethical violations.

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Policy

Journal of Economics and Business in the Global South (JEBGS)

1. Policy Rationale

Journal of Economics and Business in the Global South (JEBGS) recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming the landscape of economic and business research. Within the context of the Global South, AI tools can enhance analytical efficiency, improve access to scholarly communication, and support inclusive knowledge production across diverse economic and institutional environments.

At the same time, the journal emphasizes that economic and business scholarship must remain grounded in critical reasoning, empirical validity, contextual relevance, and ethical responsibility. Therefore, the use of AI must be carefully regulated to ensure academic integrity, originality, and accountability.

This policy establishes ethical standards for AI use in manuscript preparation, aligned with best practices promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and international indexing standards such as Scopus.

2. Definition of AI Tools

For the purpose of this policy, AI tools refer to computational systems that utilize techniques such as machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and generative models to assist in producing, processing, or transforming scholarly content.

These include, but are not limited to:

  • Generative AI systems (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude)
  • Language enhancement tools (e.g., Grammarly, DeepL Write)
  • AI-assisted data analysis, econometric modeling, and coding platforms
  • Automated literature discovery and citation tools
  • Visualization, forecasting, and business analytics tools supported by AI

3. Acceptable Use of AI

JEBGS permits the limited and responsible use of AI tools, provided that such use does not replace the intellectual and analytical contribution of the author.

a. Permissible Applications

Authors may use AI for:

  • Improving grammar, clarity, and academic writing quality
  • Supporting non-native English speakers in language refinement
  • Organizing references and citations
  • Conducting preliminary literature searches
  • Assisting in coding, econometric modeling, or data analysis (subject to verification)
  • Generating visualizations (charts, graphs, dashboards) that are original and validated

b. Prohibited and Restricted Uses

The following uses are strictly prohibited:

  • Generating entire manuscripts or core theoretical/economic arguments without substantial human intellectual input
  • Producing fabricated or manipulated data (quantitative or qualitative)
  • Creating fictitious citations, datasets, or misleading references
  • Automated paraphrasing that results in plagiarism
  • Misrepresenting AI-generated content as fully original human scholarship
  • Using AI to simulate empirical data (e.g., surveys, financial data, market behavior) without disclosure and validation

JEBGS places strong emphasis on empirical rigor, methodological transparency, and contextual accuracy, particularly in representing economic and business realities in the Global South.

4. Author Responsibility and Accountability

Authors bear full responsibility for all submitted content, including any parts developed with AI assistance. This includes:

  • Ensuring accuracy, validity, and originality of findings
  • Verifying all AI-assisted outputs (data, text, models, and interpretations)
  • Eliminating bias, errors, and “hallucinated” information
  • Maintaining theoretical and methodological rigor in economics and business research

AI must function strictly as a supporting tool, not as a substitute for scholarly analysis and critical thinking.

5. Authorship Criteria

AI tools cannot be listed as authors under any circumstances. Authorship in JEBGS is reserved exclusively for human contributors who:

  • Conceptualize the research
  • Conduct data analysis and interpretation
  • Develop theoretical and practical contributions
  • Take full responsibility for the integrity of the work

Any attempt to list AI as an author or co-author will result in immediate rejection.

6. Disclosure and Transparency

JEBGS requires full transparency regarding the use of AI tools beyond basic language editing.

Authors must disclose:

  • The name and version of the AI tool
  • The purpose of its use
  • The extent of its contribution
  • Confirmation of human verification and revision

Suggested Disclosure Statement

“During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [AI Tool Name] for [specific purpose]. All outputs were critically reviewed and revised by the author(s), who take full responsibility for the final content.”

7. Placement of Disclosure

  • Methods section → for data analysis, econometric modeling, or research design support
  • Acknowledgments section → for language editing or minor assistance
  • Dedicated AI Statement section (recommended for transparency and indexing compliance)

8. Editorial and Peer Review Process

The editorial board of Journal of Economics and Business in the Global South (JEBGS) will evaluate AI usage as part of ethical screening and peer review.

If misuse or non-disclosure is suspected, the journal may:

  • Request clarification or revision
  • Reject the manuscript
  • Initiate ethical review procedures

AI-detection tools may be used as supplementary instruments, but final judgment remains human-centered.

9. Sanctions for Policy Violations

Non-compliance with this policy may result in:

  • Desk rejection
  • Retraction of published articles
  • Notification to affiliated institutions
  • Temporary or permanent submission bans

Sanctions will be applied proportionally based on the severity of the violation.

10. Appeals Mechanism

Authors may submit a formal appeal to the Editor-in-Chief if they contest decisions related to AI usage. Appeals must:

  • Clearly outline the basis of disagreement
  • Provide supporting evidence
  • Refer explicitly to this policy

All appeals will undergo an independent ethical review.

11. AI Use in Editorial Management

JEBGS does not employ AI for autonomous editorial decision-making. Any use of AI in editorial workflows (e.g., plagiarism screening or reviewer suggestions) is:

  • Limited in scope
  • Transparent
  • Fully supervised by human editors

12. Policy Review and Updates

This policy will be periodically updated to reflect:

  • Technological advancements
  • Evolving ethical standards
  • Developments in global academic publishing

Authors are expected to consult the latest version prior to submission.

13. Ethical Alignment

This policy aligns with international best practices, particularly those of:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
  • Global indexing standards including Scopus

Compliance with these principles is mandatory for all submissions to JEBGS.

Closing Statement

Journal of Economics and Business in the Global South (JEBGS) supports the responsible use of AI as a tool to enhance—rather than replace—rigorous economic and business scholarship. The journal is committed to advancing empirically grounded, contextually relevant, and ethically sound research, particularly in amplifying knowledge production from the Global South.