Science Editing

Volume 12 February 2025

Editorial

Research and publication ethics with generative artificial intelligence-assisted tools: Cheol-Heui Yun; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):1-3. Published online February 18, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.362

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Reviews

Bibliometric characteristics of retracted publications in pediatrics research: a systematic review: Zhi-Yi Yang, Li-Li Yang; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):4-11. Published online December 11, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.351

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Abstract PDF: Purpose
In recent years, the number of retractions in biomedical literature has increased. Analyses of retracted publications can provide important information on the characteristics of retractions and may help reduce this trend. This study aimed to systematically analyze the time, source, citations, and reasons for retraction of pediatric research papers.
Methods
A systematic review of retracted articles related to pediatrics was performed in PubMed and Web of Science databases from their inception through December 31, 2023. Excluded from the review were articles unrelated to pediatric studies, conference proceedings, non-English articles, duplicates, and articles that could not be identified. The data extracted and analyzed included the title, publication year, retraction year, country, journal, impact factor, the party who raised the retraction, the reason for retraction, citation count, and the authors of the articles.
Results
The interval between publication and retraction ranged from 0 to 45 years, and the number of retracted papers peaked in 2023. China and the United States had the most retractions, and China had the highest rate of retraction. The proportion of retractions from China increased over time. Several journals published by Hindawi had many retractions compared to other journals. The most frequent reasons were publication issues, errors, and fraud/fabrication.
Conclusion
This study provides a comprehensive overview of retracted articles in pediatric research. Our findings suggest that it is important to scrutinize the process of research and publication, to identify and counter research misconduct, and to make the instructions, procedures, and outcomes of publication more transparent for researchers, publishers and regulators.

Key trends, challenges, and opportunities in scientific journal management between 2013 and 2023: a systematic review: Muhamad Nur Azmi Wahyudi, Ida Nugroho Saputro, Alhaura Nabighatul Ula, Cahyo Widodo; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):12-19. Published online February 11, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.359

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Purpose
Scientific journals play a pivotal role in disseminating research findings, validating methodologies, and promoting academic discourse. In the past decade, technological advancements, global collaborations, and evolving editorial policies have driven significant transformations in journal management. This systematic literature review investigated the key trends, challenges, and opportunities in scientific journal management between 2013 and 2023.
Methods
Utilizing a PRISMA-guided methodology, 26 peer-reviewed articles from the Scopus database were analyzed.
Results
The findings reveal five primary themes: (1) journal management systems and technological improvements; (2) editorial processes, policies, and best practices; (3) metrics, evaluation, and scientometrics; (4) case studies and implementation; and (5) ethical, social, and equity considerations. Technological innovations, such as artificial intelligence–driven tools, improved plagiarism detection systems, and semantic workflows, have improved operational efficiency. Editorial best practices and evaluation metrics have evolved to promote transparency, accountability, and research integrity. However, persistent challenges include financial sustainability, disparities in gender representation, and maintaining consistency in editorial quality.
Conclusion
This review underscores the importance of adaptive strategies and innovative frameworks in ensuring the long-term sustainability, accessibility, and impact of scholarly journals in a rapidly evolving academic publishing landscape.

Original Articles

Improving reviewer selection in Open Journal Systems using a Scopus search application programming interface in the Journal of Information System Engineering and Business Intelligence: Indra Kharisma Raharjana, Badrus Zaman, Oktavia Intifada Husna, Rizfi Ferdiansyah, Aretha Seno Putri, Fariska Dwi Kartika Sari; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):20-27. Published online February 6, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.356

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Abstract PDF: Purpose
The peer review process is essential for maintaining the quality of scientific publications. However, identifying reviewers who possess the necessary expertise can be challenging. In Open Journal Systems (OJS), which is commonly utilized by journals, the most effective method of inviting reviewers is when they are already registered in the system. This study seeks to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the reviewer selection process to ensure high-quality peer reviews.
Methods
We introduced a process innovation to analyze users within OJS and obtain recommendations for potential reviewers possessing the relevant expertise for the manuscript under review. This study collected user data from OJS as potential reviewers and utilized information from the Scopus search application programming interface (API). We extracted authors’ data from the Scopus API to obtain their Scopus IDs, which were then used to scrape publication data of potential reviewers. The system matched the previous works of reviewers with the title and abstract of the manuscript using term frequency-inverse document frequency and cosine similarity algorithms.
Results
The system was evaluated by comparing its recommendations with the assessments made by the editorial team. This evaluation yielded precision, mean average precision, and mean reciprocal rank values of 0.47, 0.77, and 0.87, respectively.
Conclusion
The results clearly demonstrate the system’s ability to provide relevant reviewer recommendations. This system offers significant benefits by assisting editors in identifying suitable reviewer candidates from the existing user database in OJS, particularly for the evaluation of manuscripts.

Ethical guidelines for the use of generative artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence-assisted tools in scholarly publishing: a thematic analysis: Adéle da Veiga; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):28-34. Published online February 5, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.352

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Purpose
This analysis aims to propose guidelines for artificial intelligence (AI) research ethics in scientific publications, intending to inform publishers and academic institutional policies in order to guide them toward a coherent and consistent approach to AI research ethics.
Methods
A literature-based thematic analysis was conducted. The study reviewed the publication policies of the top 10 journal publishers addressing the use of AI in scholarly publications as of October 2024. Thematic analysis using Atlas.ti identified themes and subthemes across the documents, which were consolidated into proposed research ethics guidelines for using generative AI and AI-assisted tools in scholarly publications.
Results
The analysis revealed inconsistencies among publishers’ policies on AI use in research and publications. AI-assisted tools for grammar and formatting are generally accepted, but positions vary regarding generative AI tools used in pre-writing and research methods. Key themes identified include author accountability, human oversight, recognized and unrecognized uses of AI tools, and the necessity for transparency in disclosing AI usage. All publishers agree that AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Concerns involve biases, quality and reliability issues, compliance with intellectual property rights, and limitations of AI detection tools.
Conclusion
The article highlights the significant knowledge gap and inconsistencies in guidelines for AI use in scientific research. There is an urgent need for unified ethical standards, and guidelines are proposed for distinguishing between the accepted use of AI-assisted tools and the cautious use of generative AI tools.

Trends, causes, and collaboration patterns of retracted Taiwanese medical research: a bibliometric study: Joshua Wang; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):35-42. Published online February 11, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.360

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Abstract PDF: Purpose
Retraction of published literature is an increasingly important mechanism for protecting the scholarly record in today’s accelerated publishing environment. Analyzing retracted articles offers unique insights into how research communities maintain academic integrity. Taiwan is a major contributor to global medical research and has sustained public and media interest in academic integrity. Yet, no comprehensive analysis of retractions involving Taiwan-affiliated authors has been conducted. This paper therefore aimed to systematically examine retractions in Taiwanese medical research.
Methods
Data extracted from both PubMed and the Retraction Watch Database were analyzed to determine the number of retracted articles and their reasons for retraction.
Results
In total, 181 retractions of medical research articles with at least one Taiwan-affiliated author were included in the analysis, with the number of retractions steadily increasing since the first retracted article was published in 1992. Taiwanese medical research has the 9th highest retraction rate among the top 21 countries in medical research publications (6.08 retractions per 10,000 publications). However, this rate is lower than those of other highly productive Asian countries, including China, Korea, Japan, and India. Fifty-eight (32.04%) of the retractions involved international collaboration, most commonly with authors affiliated with the United States and China. Over the past 33 years, the reasons for retraction have gradually shifted from plagiarism or data manipulation to compromised peer review systems, ethical issues, and authorship disputes.
Conclusion
The results reveal that retractions in Taiwanese medical research are evolving and distinct from those in neighboring regions. This finding highlights the need to examine Taiwanese medical researchers’ perspectives on academic integrity and current publishing trends.

Case Studys

The promotion of university journals published by Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia, from 2018 to 2024: a descriptive study: Eko Didik Widianto, Hadiyanto, Teddy Mantoro, Raka Sindu Wardoyo; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):43-49. Published online February 5, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.353

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: This study explores the promotion of university journals published by Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), Indonesia, between 2018 and 2024. UNDIP managed 178 active journals spanning various subjects across 13 faculties. The analysis focused on four key indicators: the number of journals accredited by the Akreditasi Jurnal Nasional (ARJUNA), the accreditation grade in the Science and Technology Index (SINTA) database, the number of journals indexed in Scopus, and the number of abstract views and article downloads. Data collection involved searching literature databases, including SINTA and Scopus, and tracking hits and downloads on the web server. The findings indicate that the number of active journals increased from 136 in 2018 to 178 in 2024, with an average annual growth of 7 journals. The mentoring programs at UNDIP led to significant achievements in key performance indicators, with 106.5% of journals becoming accredited and 112.2% being indexed in Scopus. The annual growth rates for accredited and Scopus-indexed journals were 9.33 and 0.83, respectively. Additionally, the cumulative number of abstract views and article downloads increased by 47.14 million annually, attracting visitors from a broad range of countries. The mentoring programs and robust infrastructure at UNDIP have likely played crucial roles in enhancing the promotion and performance of the university’s journals, which are vital for journal promotion and the achievement of key performance indicators.

The Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology’s number of articles and turnaround time before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study: Sang-Jun Kim; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):50-56. Published online February 12, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.361

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Abstract PDF: This case study investigated changes in research articles from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) during the COVID-19 pandemic to share information with stakeholders in the research and publishing communities. Data on research published from 2017 to 2024 were collected by searching the database for the number of research articles indexed in Web of Science’s Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), and then extracting the publication date of research articles from the KRIBB’s paper management system. After the number of WoS-SCIE research articles was scaled down by the corresponding number of KRIBB’s SCIE articles in 2017, we analyzed differences in the publication turnaround times of KRIBB’s research articles based on whether MDPI was involved. In both WoS-SCIE and KRIBB data, the impact of MDPI exhibited a clear decline in 2023, a trend that continued into 2024. Generally, KRIBB’s non-MDPI research articles were published more rapidly in high-frequency journals, journals with low impact factors, and for COVID-19–related topics; however, this difference gradually diminished. In 2023, there was a notable reversal from a decrease to an increase in publication speed following COVID-19, along with a narrowing of the gaps between different stages of publication. It remains uncertain whether this trend will continue. Collecting additional similar case studies could provide a more accurate understanding of the changes and trends in the article publishing industry during the COVID-19 period.

Meeting Reports

Report on the Asia Pacific Association of Medical Journal Editors (APAME) 2024 Conference: Young Yoo; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):57-60. Published online October 14, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.347

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Improving manuscript quality in Asian science journals to take a leap forward in the next 5 years: Khoerul Umam, Komang G. Wiryawan, Supandi Supandi, Tae-Sul Seo, Eka Nana Susanti, Tirta Anhari; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):61-62. Published online November 14, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.349

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Meeting report on the European Association of Science Editors (EASE) Autumn Symposium 2024: Jun-Beom Park; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):63-65. Published online February 6, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.354

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Meeting report on the 8th Asian Science Editors’ Conference and Workshop 2024: Eun Jung Park; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):66-69. Published online February 6, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.355

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Training Materials

A novel “conceive, design, implement, operate (CDIO)” framework for evaluating artificial intelligence–generated scholarly manuscripts: Aji Prasetya Wibawa, Anik Nur Handayani, Prananda Anugrah, Agung Bella Putra Utama; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):70-75. Published online November 14, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.348

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Abstract PDF: This paper introduces a novel application of the “conceive, design, implement, operate (CDIO)” framework to improve the thoroughness and organization of academic editorial review processes. It demonstrates that the CDIO framework, originally applied to engineering education, can also be adapted for reviewing creative and interdisciplinary ideas. The adaptation of the CDIO framework for editorial review is already evident in scholarly publications, and this paper extends its application to include reviews of content produced by artificial intelligence (AI) platforms. The “conceive” stage focuses on developing clear research questions and objectives that align with the key moments of article conception. It ensures that content produced by AI begins with an ethical scientific foundation and maintains this integrity throughout the process. The “design” stage emphasizes maintaining scientific accuracy and clarity of presentation. It considers all critical manuscript design elements and incorporates methods to evaluate the originality and rationality of AI-generated data and analysis. The “implementation” stage is concerned with the effective communication of findings, providing insights into how the manuscript is perceived. It is crucial for data generation or tool usage involving AI. The “operate stage” involves analyzing the findings and their overall impact on the field, ensuring a comprehensive assessment from all perspectives when AI-generated content is integrated into academic discourse, which has broader implications. By applying the CDIO framework innovatively, this paper offers a systematic and comprehensive method for conducting editorial reviews. This ensures that manuscripts generated by AI are subjected to the same rigorous scrutiny as those authored by humans. This approach improves the quality, transparency, and reputation of scholarly publications. We examine each stage of the CDIO process, achieving uniformity and clarity, and providing a more precise evaluation of both traditional and AI-assisted academic research.

Guidelines for scholarly journals on establishing and revising instructions for authors and editorial policies: Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):76-80. Published online November 21, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.350

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Correspondence

AIgiarism is plagiarism: artificial intelligence can (be perceived to) plagiarize and can also be plagiarized: Bor Luen Tang; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):81-83. Published online September 13, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.346

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Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Understanding AIgiarism in higher education: the lens of general AI attitudes and moral disengagement
Muhammad Waqas, Alishba Hania, X. U. Chunyan
Studies in Higher Education.2025; : 1. CrossRef

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