Science Editing

Correspondence

Will widespread use of artificial intelligence tools in manuscript writing mark the end of human scholarship as we know it?: Bor Luen Tang; Received February 23, 2025 Accepted March 10, 2025 Published online April 10, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.366 [Epub ahead of print]

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Original Articles

Evaluating North Korean academic medicine’s contributions to the international medical literature: a bibliometric study: Andrew Holzman, Yongbin Kim, Jaewoo Park, Douglas Rappaport; Received September 26, 2024 Accepted February 7, 2025 Published online April 10, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.365 [Epub ahead of print]

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Abstract PDF: Purpose
We analyzed the bibliometric characteristics of articles authored by individuals affiliated with North Korean medical education institutions indexed in PubMed, using an expanded search strategy to update prior studies.
Methods
Our search revealed both a significantly larger number of publications and a greater capacity for substantive research with international impact than previously reported. We reviewed 331 records, selecting 79 for inclusion. For each publication, we collected data regarding the involvement of North Korean patients as primary research subjects, research methods employed, international partnerships, study topics, the impact factor of the publishing journal, and the number of cross-referencing citations.
Results
We identified 10 publications presenting primary data from North Korean patients, 3 of which involved prospective, randomized clinical trials. North Korean authors frequently collaborated with international partners—primarily from China, though some partnerships involved institutions in Europe and North America—while 11 publications were authored solely by North Korean researchers. Surgery was the most common subject, appearing in 20 publications; however, these articles were cited infrequently (an average of 1.4 citations per publication). In contrast, research in dermatology and traditional medicine demonstrated higher impact (10 and 4.7 cross-citations, respectively).
Conclusion
Our study clarifies the network of partnerships between North Korean medical educators and international institutions. We propose that North Korea’s capacity to engage in research meeting international clinical science standards may be greater than previously acknowledged, particularly in the field of traditional medicine.

Vietnamese researchers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding open access publishing: a cross-sectional study: Trung Thanh Nguyen, Ngoc Thi Bich Tran, Thai Binh An Nguyen, Huong Giang Bui, Hiep Hung Pham; Received November 29, 2024 Accepted February 6, 2025 Published online April 2, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.364 [Epub ahead of print]

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Purpose
This study aimed to explore Vietnamese researchers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding open access (OA) publishing.
Methods
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between May and July 2024, gathering responses from 238 Vietnamese researchers across diverse universities and disciplines. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to identify key trends in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among different demographic groups.
Results
Vietnamese researchers primarily acquired information about OA through websites and colleagues, with ScienceOpen, PLOS, and SSRN serving as the main sources. Although they valued OA for its accessibility and broad dissemination, they expressed concerns regarding high publication fees and the quality of OA journals—particularly issues related to peer review rigor and potential risks to academic reputation.
Conclusion
The findings indicate strong support for OA publishing among Vietnamese researchers, despite ongoing concerns about high costs, journal credibility, and insufficient institutional support. Strengthening funding models, institutional advocacy, and quality assurance mechanisms is essential for building trust in OA and fostering a more inclusive scholarly environment.

Announcement

Events in 2025: Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):90-90. Published online February 18, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.363

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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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Case Study

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.

Original Article

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.

Review

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.

Correspondence

Why I participated in writing Chapter 33, “Digital Standards of Scholarly Journal Publishing,” of the 9th edition of The CSE Manual: Scientific Style and Format for Authors, Editors, and Publishers: Sun Huh; Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):84-88. Published online February 10, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.357

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Correction

Correction to “Copyright policies of science and engineering open access journals indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded or Scopus, published by Korean academic societies”: Sci Ed. 2025;12(1):89-89. Published online February 7, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.358; Corrects: Sci Ed 2024;11(1):62

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Original Article

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.

Meeting Reports

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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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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Case Study

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.

Original Article

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.

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