Publication Ethics & Editorial Policies

Our policies uphold research integrity, responsible authorship, independent peer review, editorial accountability, and the long-term preservation of the scholarly record.

About This Policy

Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics, research integrity, transparency, and accountability. Authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher are expected to uphold these principles throughout the scholarly publishing process.

These policies are informed by applicable research ethics principles and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the current COPE's Core Practices. Allegations and editorial concerns are assessed fairly, confidentially, and on the basis of available evidence.

Table of Contents

Select a section to navigate directly to the relevant policy.

1. Ethical Guideline for Journal Publication

Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) seeks to ensure that scholarly publishing is conducted responsibly and transparently. All parties involved in publication must act with honesty, fairness, confidentiality, and respect for intellectual property.

Authors are responsible for the originality, accuracy, proper attribution, and ethical conduct of their research. Reviewers must provide objective and confidential assessments. Editors must make independent decisions based on scholarly merit and relevant ethical standards. The publisher supports the editorial team in maintaining these principles.

The journal may investigate suspected ethical violations, request supporting evidence, consult independent experts or relevant institutions, and take proportionate editorial action where warranted. Relevant COPE guidance may be consulted when handling complex publication ethics cases.

2. Generative AI Policies

Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) recognizes that generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used in scholarly activities, provided that their use is consistent with transparency, accountability, research integrity, and applicable ethical requirements.

Authors, reviewers, and editors must comply with the journal's specific requirements concerning the use of generative AI in manuscript preparation, peer review, and editorial activities.

3. Conflict of Interest

Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) is committed to ensuring that editorial decisions and peer-review assessments are fair, independent, and based on scholarly merit. Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, their judgment.

Conflicts may include financial interests, employment, research funding, personal relationships, recent collaborations, institutional affiliations, or other professional and academic interests. A disclosed conflict does not automatically constitute misconduct; it must be assessed and appropriately managed.

Individuals with a conflict that cannot be adequately managed must not participate in the relevant review or editorial decision. Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) may appoint an independent reviewer or editor and document the measures taken.

4. Allegations of Research Misconduct

Allegations of research misconduct may be submitted by authors, readers, reviewers, editors, institutions, or other concerned parties. Reports should include sufficient details to identify the article or submission, describe the concern, and provide supporting evidence where available.

Upon receiving an allegation, the journal will record the report, conduct a preliminary assessment, and determine whether further inquiry is warranted. Relevant individuals will be given a reasonable opportunity to respond, and independent expertise or institutional consultation may be sought when necessary.

Depending on the findings, the journal may dismiss an unsupported allegation, request clarification, suspend editorial processing, reject a manuscript, publish a correction or expression of concern, retract an article, or take other proportionate action.

The journal will maintain appropriate confidentiality, document significant decisions, distinguish honest error from deliberate misconduct, and avoid treating unverified allegations as established facts. Retaliation against individuals reporting concerns in good faith is not tolerated.

5. Duties of Authors Criteria

Authors submitting manuscripts to Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) are responsible for ensuring that their work meets the journal's scholarly, ethical, and submission requirements.

• Originality: Manuscripts must be original, appropriately cited, and free from plagiarism and unacceptable duplication.
• Accuracy: Research findings must be reported honestly. Data, methods, images, and results must not be fabricated, falsified, or misleadingly manipulated.
• Authorship: All listed authors must have made appropriate scholarly contributions, approved the submitted version, and accepted accountability for their contributions.
• Exclusive submission: A manuscript must not be submitted simultaneously to another journal while under consideration by Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM).
• Ethical compliance: Authors must obtain applicable ethical approval and informed consent where required and report these appropriately.
• Disclosure: Funding sources, relevant competing interests, and other required declarations must be disclosed.
• Corrections: Authors must promptly notify the journal if they discover a significant error in a submitted or published manuscript and cooperate with appropriate corrective action.
• Accountability: Authors must respond to editorial queries, provide supporting information when reasonably requested, and cooperate with legitimate investigations into potential misconduct.

6. Duties of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are handled fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with the journal's editorial policies.

• Editorial independence: Decisions must be based on scholarly merit, originality, methodological quality, relevance, and ethical compliance.
• Fair treatment: Manuscripts must be evaluated without discrimination based on personal characteristics, institutional affiliation, nationality, or personal relationships.
• Peer review: Editors must select suitable independent reviewers and manage the review process responsibly.
• Confidentiality: Manuscript content and editorial correspondence must be protected from unauthorized disclosure.
• Conflicts of interest: Editors must disclose relevant conflicts and transfer the handling of affected manuscripts to an independent editor.
• Research integrity: Editors must respond appropriately to credible concerns about plagiarism, data integrity, authorship, and other ethical issues.
• Reasoned decisions: Editorial decisions and required revisions should be communicated clearly and professionally.
• Post-publication responsibility: Editors must consider justified requests for corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions to protect the scholarly record.

7. Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers support the quality and integrity of Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) by providing objective, constructive, timely, and confidential evaluations of submitted manuscripts.

• Competence: Reviewers should accept assignments only when they have sufficient expertise and can complete the review within the agreed timeframe.
• Objectivity: Reviews must focus on scholarly quality, originality, methodology, evidence, interpretation, and relevance.
• Constructive feedback: Comments should be clear, evidence-based, respectful, and useful to authors.
• Confidentiality: Manuscripts and review materials must not be shared or used for personal advantage without authorization.
• Conflicts of interest: Reviewers must disclose relevant conflicts and decline assignments when impartiality cannot be maintained.
• Research integrity: Suspected plagiarism, data irregularities, unethical research, or other serious concerns should be reported confidentially to the editor.
• Independent assessment: Reviewers must not contact authors directly about a manuscript unless authorized by the editor.
• AI-assisted review: Reviewers must comply with the journal's Generative AI Policies and must not disclose confidential manuscript content to unauthorized AI tools.

8. Duties of the Publisher (Sinar Mentari Sundara)

Sinar Mentari Sundara, as the publisher of Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM), supports the journal's commitment to ethical publishing, editorial independence, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

• Editorial independence: The publisher must respect the editorial independence of the journal and must not improperly influence individual manuscript decisions.
• Ethical support: The publisher supports the editorial team in addressing credible allegations of publication misconduct and implementing appropriate corrective measures.
• Publication integrity: The publisher supports transparent correction, retraction, and post-publication update procedures.
• Digital continuity: The publisher supports appropriate digital preservation and access arrangements for published content.
• Transparency: Journal policies, publication information, and relevant editorial procedures should be accessible and clearly communicated.
• Accountability: Where ethical concerns involve senior editorial personnel or create a conflict of interest, the publisher may facilitate independent oversight to help ensure a fair process.

9. Manuscript Withdrawal Policy

Authors are expected to carefully consider their decision before submitting a manuscript to Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM). Submission indicates that the authors agree to comply with the journal's editorial policies and understand that the manuscript may require editorial assessment, peer review, and administrative processing.

Once a manuscript has been submitted, authors are expected to maintain their submission throughout the editorial and peer-review process. Withdrawal requests are permitted only for legitimate and justified reasons and are subject to formal review and written approval by the journal.

9.1. General Principles

The withdrawal of a manuscript after editorial processing or peer review has begun may result in the loss of time, effort, and resources invested by the editors, reviewers, and publisher. Authors are therefore encouraged to verify the manuscript's content, authorship, originality, ethical compliance, and readiness for submission before completing the submission process.

Authors must not submit the same manuscript to another journal while it remains under active consideration by Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM). Withdrawal must not be used to circumvent an editorial decision, avoid legitimate research integrity inquiries, or facilitate simultaneous submission.

All withdrawal requests will be assessed individually. The journal reserves the right to request additional information when necessary to determine whether the request is justified and whether the manuscript's editorial status permits withdrawal.

9.2. Withdrawal Request Procedure

Authors who wish to withdraw a manuscript must follow the formal procedure below.

9.3. Withdrawal Fee and Applicability

A withdrawal fee of USD 150 per manuscript applies when the authors request withdrawal after the peer-review process has commenced. This fee is intended to compensate for the editorial, peer-review coordination, and administrative resources already expended in processing the manuscript.

The journal will notify the corresponding author of the applicable fee before processing the withdrawal request. The payment instructions, payment deadline, and confirmation of any applicable charge must be communicated by the editorial office through an official channel.

The fee is associated with withdrawal after peer review has commenced and must not be interpreted as a fee for reporting suspected misconduct, raising legitimate research ethics concerns, or requesting correction of a published article.

Requests involving circumstances beyond the authors' reasonable control, serious ethical concerns, authorship disputes, or other exceptional circumstances may be reviewed individually. The journal will determine whether the fee applies after considering the facts of the case and any applicable exception.

9.4. Non-Compliance with the Withdrawal Procedure

Authors are expected to comply with the journal's withdrawal procedure and cooperate with the editorial office while a request is being assessed. Submitting the same manuscript elsewhere before formal withdrawal is confirmed may constitute a breach of the journal's submission policy.

If authors attempt to withdraw a manuscript without following the required procedure or fail to resolve an applicable fee dispute, the journal will review the circumstances and communicate with the corresponding author before determining an appropriate response.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may document the incident, request an explanation, suspend processing while a legitimate issue is investigated, or take proportionate editorial action consistent with its policies. Any restriction on future submissions must be based on a documented and justified editorial decision rather than imposed automatically.

9.5. Non-Compliance with the Withdrawal Procedure

Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) recognizes that certain circumstances require special consideration. Requests involving suspected research misconduct, serious errors, authorship disputes, concerns about research ethics, or other matters affecting research integrity will be assessed on their merits.

No withdrawal fee will be imposed solely because an author reports suspected misconduct or requests an ethical investigation. The journal will not use a withdrawal fee to prevent the reporting of legitimate ethical concerns or to determine the outcome of a research integrity investigation.

9.6. Withdrawal of Published Articles

Once an article has been formally published, it cannot ordinarily be removed from the scholarly record through the standard manuscript withdrawal procedure. Requests concerning published articles will be assessed under the journal's applicable correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other post-publication policies.

The journal will determine the appropriate action based on the nature of the concern, the available evidence, and the need to preserve the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record. The USD 150 pre-publication withdrawal fee does not, by itself, determine whether a published article should be corrected or retracted.

9.7. Editorial Authority and Transparency

All withdrawal requests and related fee assessments will be handled consistently, transparently, and on the basis of the journal's published policies. Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) reserves the right to take appropriate editorial action where justified, while ensuring that legitimate ethical concerns are considered independently of financial matters.

10. Correction Policy (Erratum and Corrigendum)

Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) may publish a correction when an error in a published article can be remedied without retracting the article in its entirety.

Erratum: A notice addressing an error introduced during production or publication.

Corrigendum: A notice addressing an error originating from the authors. The appropriate terminology is determined by the nature of the error and editorial assessment.

Correction procedure

1. Receive the report and supporting evidence.
2. Assess the nature and potential impact of the error.
3. Consult the authors or independent experts where necessary.
4. Determine whether a correction, further investigation, or retraction is appropriate.
5. Publish an approved correction notice identifying the article and explaining the amendment.
6. Link the notice to the original article and maintain a transparent publication record.

Minor typographical errors that do not affect meaning or interpretation may be corrected without a separate formal notice at the editor's discretion.

11. Article Retraction Policy

Retraction is intended to correct the scholarly record when published findings or conclusions can no longer be considered reliable. Potential grounds include significant errors, fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, redundant publication, serious ethical violations, compromised peer review, or other substantiated circumstances that undermine the article's reliability.

Retraction procedure

1. Identify and document the concern and available evidence.
2. Conduct a preliminary editorial assessment.
3. Invite relevant authors to respond and provide supporting documentation.
4. Consult independent experts or relevant institutions where necessary.
5. Make an evidence-based decision through an editor without a relevant conflict of interest.
6. Publish a clearly labelled retraction notice explaining the reasons and linking to the original article.
7. Preserve the scholarly record by marking the original article as retracted and maintaining links between the article and notice.

Retraction may proceed despite author disagreement when supported by sufficient evidence. Where substantial concerns remain but the evidence is inconclusive, the journal may publish an expression of concern pending further investigation.

12. Post-Publication Updates, Corrections, and Retractions

Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) recognizes that maintaining the scholarly record is an ongoing responsibility after publication. Concerns about a published article may be reported by authors, readers, reviewers, institutions, or other concerned parties.

The editorial team will evaluate the nature, credibility, and potential impact of each concern. Depending on the findings, the journal may publish a correction, update relevant publication information, issue an expression of concern, retract an article, or take another proportionate action.

Any substantive post-publication change must be documented transparently. Where appropriate, the journal will publish a dated notice linked to the original article and update the article's status information so that readers can identify the change.

The journal will preserve a clear record of significant changes and avoid silently altering published findings in a manner that could mislead readers. Decisions will be based on the available evidence and the need to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

13. Digital Preservation and Archiving Policy

Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) recognizes the importance of preserving published research and maintaining long-term access to its scholarly content. The journal aims to protect the availability, authenticity, and integrity of its digital publication record.

The publisher and journal administrators are responsible for supporting appropriate preservation practices, maintaining publication files and metadata, and taking reasonable measures to reduce the risk of permanent content loss.

Preservation principles

• Maintain reliable copies of published articles and associated metadata.
• Use appropriate backup and recovery practices to reduce the risk of data loss.
• Preserve article identifiers, publication details, and links to relevant correction or retraction notices where applicable.
• Support continued access to published content through appropriate digital preservation arrangements.
• Review and improve preservation practices as the journal's technical infrastructure and available preservation services evolve.

Specific preservation services, repositories, or archival networks will be identified in the journal's website only when participation or registration has been confirmed. The journal will not claim participation in an archiving service unless it has been established.

14. Academic Misconduct and Research Integrity

Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) does not tolerate academic misconduct that compromises research integrity or the reliability of scholarly publishing.

Examples of potential misconduct

• Plagiarism and inappropriate reuse of published material.
• Fabrication or falsification of research data, results, or images.
• Duplicate or redundant publication and inappropriate simultaneous submission.
• Fictitious authorship or inappropriate authorship attribution.
• Peer-review manipulation or improper attempts to influence editorial decisions.
• Undisclosed conflicts of interest that materially affect research integrity.
• Research conducted without required ethical approval or consent, where applicable.

Investigation procedure

1. Record the allegation and supporting evidence.
2. Assess whether sufficient grounds exist for further inquiry.
3. Notify relevant parties and provide a reasonable opportunity to respond.
4. Evaluate the evidence and seek independent expertise where appropriate.
5. Consult relevant institutions when formal investigation is required.
6. Determine proportionate editorial action based on the findings.
7. Document significant decisions and communicate outcomes as appropriate.

The journal distinguishes honest errors from deliberate misconduct. Allegations are not treated as proven before an appropriate assessment. Confidentiality is respected throughout the process, and retaliation against good-faith reporting is not tolerated.

15. Editorial Independence and Ethical Oversight

Editorial decisions concerning acceptance, rejection, correction, retraction, and suspected misconduct must be based on scholarly merit, available evidence, publication ethics, and the integrity of the scholarly record.

Commercial interests, personal relationships, institutional pressure, or other inappropriate considerations must not determine the outcome of an editorial assessment or ethical investigation.

Where an editor has a conflict of interest or is directly implicated in a concern, the case will be referred to an appropriate independent decision-maker. Smart Human-centered Emerging Research in Machine Intelligence (SHEM) may consult relevant COPE guidance, independent experts, or institutional research integrity bodies when appropriate.