Focus and Scope

Geosfera is a journal publishes original research, review, and short communication (written by researchers, academicians, professional, and practitioners from Indonesia) which utilizes geographic and environment approaches (human, physical landscape, nature-society and GIS) to resolve human-environment interaction problems that have a spatial problem. Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi particularly focuses on the main problems as follows: (1) Geography Education, (2) Physical Geography, (3) Human Geography, (4) Geographic Information System (GIS), (5) Remote Sensing, (6) Environmental Science, and (7) Disaster Risk Reduction and other relevant geosciences.

Section Policies

Articles

Open Submissions

Indexed

Peer Reviewed

Peer Review Process

Geosfera : Jurnal Penelitian Geografi (GeoJPG) publishes articles following GeoJPG guidelines and templates. A pre-review of the manuscript was conducted by an editorial team to review the suitability of the text with the focus and scope and style of the journal and GeoJPG writing guidelines. All manuscripts sent will go through a double-blind review process. Manuscripts will be sent to a minimum of two reviewers based on their field of specialization. Reviewers provide script assessments that include originality, scientific contributions, and presentation clarity. Based on the comments and suggestions from the editorial board reviewer made a decision on the reviewer's comments and suggestions. GeoJPG has four types of decisions including accepted, accepted by minor revisions, accepted by major revisions, and rejected. Plagiarism examination is performed using Turnitin software.

Publication Frequency

GeoJPG is scheduled for publication in June and December (2 issues a year). It is electronically published via journal website (https://ejurnal.ung.ac.id/index.php/geosfera/indexv). Each issue number (issue) amounts to a minimum of five (5) the title and published article will be assigned a DOI (digital object identifier).

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

By "open access" to this literature, we mean its free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself. The only constraint on reproduction and distribution, and the only role for copyright in this domain, should be to give authors control over the integrity of their work and the right to be properly acknowledged and cited.

Archiving

This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration. More...

Publication Ethics

Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi is a peer-reviewed journal published by the Department of Earth Science and Technology, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo. The journal is available in print and online formats and is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, and responsible scholarly publishing.

This statement outlines the ethical responsibilities and expected conduct of all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, the editorial board, and the publisher. Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi is committed to preventing plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, conflicts of interest, and other forms of publication misconduct.

This publication ethics statement is based on the principles and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

The publication of research articles in a peer-reviewed journal is an essential contribution to the development of a reliable and respected body of geographical knowledge. Peer-reviewed publications contribute to the advancement of scientific inquiry and provide a foundation for further research, education, and professional practice.

Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi therefore expects all parties involved in the publication process to adhere to the highest standards of ethical behavior and professional responsibility.

The Department of Earth Science and Technology, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, as the publisher of the journal, takes responsibility for maintaining the integrity of the publication process. The publisher and Editorial Board are committed to ensuring that editorial decisions are independent and are not influenced by advertising, reprints, commercial interests, or other financial considerations.

The publisher and Editorial Board will also facilitate communication with other journals, publishers, institutions, and relevant organizations when necessary to address matters relating to publication ethics, research integrity, or suspected misconduct.

Duties and Responsibilities of Editors

Publication Decisions

The Editor-in-Chief and editors of Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi are responsible for making decisions regarding which manuscripts should be accepted, revised, or rejected.

Editorial decisions must be based on the manuscript's scholarly quality, originality, methodological soundness, relevance to the journal's scope, and potential contribution to geographical knowledge. Editors may consult reviewers, members of the Editorial Board, or other experts when making editorial decisions.

Editors must comply with applicable legal requirements concerning copyright, plagiarism, defamation, research ethics, and other relevant regulations.

Fair Play

Editors must evaluate manuscripts based on their academic and intellectual merit without discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, institutional affiliation, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality

Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of all submitted manuscripts and related information.

Information concerning a submitted manuscript may only be disclosed to the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, editorial advisers, members of the Editorial Board, the publisher, or other individuals authorized to participate in the editorial process.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Editors must not use unpublished information, data, ideas, or materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript for their own research or personal advantage without the express written consent of the authors.

Editors must disclose any potential conflict of interest and should withdraw from handling a manuscript when a conflict could compromise the fairness or objectivity of the editorial process.

Handling of Misconduct

Editors are responsible for responding appropriately to suspected cases of plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, duplicate publication, authorship disputes, conflicts of interest, and other forms of publication misconduct.

Where necessary, editors may request clarification or supporting information from authors, reviewers, institutions, or other relevant parties and may take appropriate corrective action in accordance with applicable publication ethics standards.

Duties and Responsibilities of Reviewers

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

Peer review assists editors in evaluating the quality, originality, relevance, and methodological soundness of submitted manuscripts. Constructive reviewer comments may also help authors improve the clarity and quality of their manuscripts.

Promptness

Reviewers who are invited to evaluate a manuscript but do not have sufficient expertise in the subject area, or who are unable to complete the review within the required timeframe, should promptly notify the editor and decline the invitation.

Confidentiality

Manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. Reviewers must not share, distribute, reproduce, or discuss submitted manuscripts or their contents with unauthorized individuals.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information, data, ideas, or findings obtained through peer review for personal or professional advantage.

Standards of Objectivity

Reviews must be conducted objectively, fairly, and constructively. Personal criticism of authors is inappropriate.

Reviewers should provide clear comments and supporting arguments concerning the manuscript's methodology, analysis, interpretation, originality, presentation, and contribution to geographical research.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been appropriately cited by the authors.

Reviewers should notify the editor if they identify substantial similarities between the manuscript under review and other published or unpublished works of which they have personal knowledge.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Reviewers must disclose any potential conflict of interest that may affect their objectivity, including competitive, collaborative, institutional, personal, or professional relationships with any of the authors, institutions, or organizations associated with the manuscript.

Reviewers who have a conflict of interest should decline the review assignment.

Duties and Responsibilities of Authors

Reporting Standards

Authors must present an accurate and complete account of their research. Research methods, data, analyses, results, and interpretations must be reported honestly and transparently.

Authors should provide sufficient methodological detail and appropriate references to allow readers and other researchers to understand and, where applicable, reproduce the research.

Fabrication, falsification, manipulation of data, misleading reporting, and knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

Data Access and Retention

Authors should retain the underlying research data and materials for a reasonable period after publication.

Where appropriate and ethically permissible, authors may be requested to provide supporting data or materials to the editor for purposes of editorial evaluation, verification, or research integrity assessment.

The sharing of research data must comply with applicable ethical requirements, privacy protections, intellectual property rights, and restrictions associated with sensitive geographical or personal information.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must ensure that submitted manuscripts constitute original work.

Any words, ideas, data, figures, maps, analyses, or other materials derived from the work of others must be appropriately acknowledged, cited, or quoted.

Plagiarism, including substantial unattributed copying, self-plagiarism, inappropriate reuse of previously published material, and other forms of academic misconduct, is unacceptable.

Multiple, Redundant, or Concurrent Publication

Authors should not submit or publish substantially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication.

Submitting the same manuscript simultaneously to multiple journals constitutes unethical publishing behavior and is not permitted.

Authors must inform the editor if substantial parts of the manuscript have previously been published or are under consideration elsewhere.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Authors must properly acknowledge all sources that have contributed to the development of the research.

Publications, datasets, maps, geospatial information, software, and other resources that have significantly influenced the research should be appropriately cited.

Authorship of the Paper

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the research.

All individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions should be appropriately recognized as authors. Individuals who have contributed to specific aspects of the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be appropriately acknowledged.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that:

• All appropriate authors are included in the manuscript.
• No inappropriate or honorary authors are included.
• All listed authors have approved the final version of the manuscript.
• All authors have agreed to its submission to Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi.
• Authorship and contribution information is accurately reported.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Authors must disclose any financial, institutional, personal, or other substantive conflicts of interest that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, analysis, interpretation, or conclusions.

All sources of financial support for the research must be appropriately acknowledged.

Ethical Approval and Research Integrity

Where applicable, authors must obtain the necessary ethical approval, research permits, institutional permissions, or other relevant authorizations before conducting research involving human participants, animals, sensitive personal information, or restricted geographical data.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their research complies with applicable ethical, legal, and institutional requirements.

Fundamental Errors in Published Works

If authors discover a significant error or inaccuracy in their published article, they must promptly notify the Editor-in-Chief or the publisher.

Authors are expected to cooperate with the editorial team in investigating the issue and, where necessary, correcting or retracting the published article.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Publisher

The Department of Earth Science and Technology, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, as the publisher of Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi, supports the Editorial Board in maintaining the integrity and quality of the journal.

The publisher is committed to:

• Supporting editorial independence and ethical decision-making.
• Ensuring that commercial considerations do not influence editorial decisions.
• Supporting appropriate procedures for addressing suspected publication misconduct.
• Maintaining the integrity and accessibility of published articles.
• Cooperating with authors, editors, reviewers, institutions, and other publishers when necessary to resolve publication ethics issues.
• Supporting corrections, retractions, or other appropriate editorial actions when required.

The publisher and Editorial Board are committed to maintaining a transparent, fair, and ethical publication process that supports the advancement of geographical research.

Daud Yusuf, S.Kom., M.Si

Editor-in-Chief,

Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi

Indexing

Articles published in Geosfera : Jurnal Penelitian Geografi (Geojpg, P-ISSN: 2962-5424, E-ISSN: 2962-5416) have appeared in the following indexes :Google Scholar, Sinta, Crossref, Dimension, Base, Garuda, WorldCat, and One Search.

Plagiarism Policy

The Editorial Board of Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi recognizes that plagiarism and other forms of inappropriate textual similarity are unacceptable in scholarly publishing. The journal is committed to maintaining academic integrity, originality, and ethical standards in all manuscripts submitted for publication.

Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi uses Turnitin or other appropriate originality-checking software to identify potential plagiarism and excessive textual similarity in submitted manuscripts and, when necessary, in the final versions of manuscripts before publication.

All submitted manuscripts may be screened for similarity as part of the editorial assessment process. Authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are original, properly cited, and free from plagiarism.

A maximum similarity index of 20% is permitted for submitted manuscripts. The similarity index is considered together with the sources and nature of the detected similarities. Similarity resulting from references, quotations, standard terminology, methodological expressions, institutional names, or other unavoidable textual elements may be assessed separately by the editors.

Editorial Actions

If the similarity index exceeds 20%, the manuscript may be returned to the authors for revision. Authors may be required to:

• Review and revise passages with excessive textual similarity.
• Properly paraphrase and cite the original sources.
• Provide appropriate quotations where direct quotations are necessary.
• Correct incomplete or inaccurate citations and references.
• Resubmit the revised manuscript for further editorial assessment.

If plagiarism, substantial unattributed copying, duplicate publication, self-plagiarism, or other serious forms of academic misconduct are identified, the Editorial Board may take appropriate action, including rejection of the manuscript, regardless of the similarity percentage.

The journal reserves the right to investigate suspected plagiarism or other forms of publication misconduct in accordance with applicable publication ethics standards.

Authors remain fully responsible for the originality and integrity of their submitted manuscripts. Passing the similarity screening does not automatically indicate that a manuscript is free from plagiarism, as the final assessment remains the responsibility of the editors.

Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi is committed to maintaining a fair, transparent, and consistent plagiarism screening process to protect the integrity of geographical research and scholarly publishing.

Generative AI and AI-Assisted Tools Policy

These policies are established in response to the growing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in geographical research and academic publishing. The policy aims to promote transparency, research integrity, responsible use of AI technologies, and clear guidance for authors, reviewers, editors, and readers of Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi.

The journal recognizes that generative AI and AI-assisted tools may provide useful support in manuscript preparation, data organization, language improvement, literature management, and other scholarly activities. However, such technologies must not replace human intellectual contribution, critical thinking, methodological expertise, or scholarly judgment.

Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi will continue to monitor developments in generative AI and AI-assisted technologies and may revise this policy as ethical standards, scholarly practices, and technological developments evolve.

For Authors – Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Tools

Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi recognizes the potential benefits of generative AI and AI-assisted tools when used responsibly to support geographical research and manuscript preparation. Appropriate uses may include language improvement, grammar and spelling correction, content organization, literature synthesis, and other editorial or technical assistance.

The use of AI must not replace the authors’ intellectual contribution, geographical expertise, methodological judgment, or responsibility for the research. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical standards of their manuscripts.

Author Responsibility

Authors are fully responsible and accountable for:

• Verifying the accuracy, relevance, integrity, and objectivity of all AI-generated or AI-assisted content.
• Ensuring that the manuscript represents the authors’ original intellectual contribution.
• Ensuring the accuracy and integrity of geographical data, spatial information, field observations, statistical analyses, maps, figures, remote sensing data, and GIS outputs.
• Ensuring that AI-assisted interpretations do not replace appropriate geographical, spatial, statistical, or methodological analysis.
• Maintaining data privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property rights, and applicable research ethics.
• Checking AI-generated content for factual errors, fabricated information, inappropriate interpretations, unsupported claims, and potential bias.
• Ensuring that all references, citations, datasets, geographical information, and factual claims are authentic and appropriately verified.
• Disclosing substantial use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools when such use contributes materially to the research or preparation of the manuscript.

Basic grammar, spelling, punctuation, and language correction using AI-assisted tools do not necessarily require disclosure. However, substantial use of AI for generating, rewriting, summarizing, interpreting, analyzing, or developing manuscript content must be disclosed appropriately.

Any substantial use of AI tools in the research process must be described transparently in the relevant section of the manuscript, particularly the Methods section, where applicable.

Responsible Use in Geographical Research

Authors must ensure that the use of AI tools:

• Does not compromise the confidentiality of unpublished research data, field data, participant information, or other sensitive materials.
• Does not involve uploading personal, confidential, or identifiable information into AI systems without appropriate authorization.
• Does not compromise the security or integrity of geospatial datasets, GIS projects, remote sensing data, or other research materials.
• Does not introduce fabricated geographical information, locations, coordinates, statistical results, references, or interpretations.
• Does not alter spatial or statistical data in a manner that misrepresents the research findings.
• Does not replace appropriate field verification, spatial analysis, statistical procedures, or other established geographical research methods.
• Is subject to human verification and critical evaluation before AI-assisted outputs are incorporated into the research or manuscript.

Authors remain responsible for validating AI-assisted outputs against reliable sources, original datasets, field observations, established analytical procedures, and relevant scholarly literature.

AI, Geospatial Data, and Spatial Analysis

AI-assisted tools may be used as part of geographical data processing, spatial analysis, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), geospatial modeling, or other computational procedures when such use constitutes a legitimate component of the research methodology.

When AI is an integral component of the research methodology, authors must provide sufficient methodological information to enable readers to understand and, where possible, reproduce the analytical process. The disclosure should include the AI tool or model used, its purpose, relevant parameters or settings, and the role of human researchers in validating the resulting outputs.

AI-generated or AI-assisted spatial outputs must not be presented as empirical observations or original geographical data when they are not derived from actual measurements, observations, datasets, or established analytical procedures.

AI and Authorship

Generative AI tools and AI-assisted systems must not be listed as authors or co-authors of manuscripts submitted to Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi.

Authorship is limited to individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research and manuscript and who can take responsibility for the content, integrity, and accountability of the work.

AI tools cannot take responsibility for the manuscript and therefore cannot meet the requirements for authorship.

Figures, Maps, Images, and Visualizations

The use of generative AI to create, substantially alter, or manipulate maps, satellite images, aerial photographs, field photographs, figures, diagrams, charts, or other visual representations of geographical phenomena is not permitted when such use could misrepresent empirical evidence, spatial patterns, research data, or geographical conditions.

Limited technical adjustments, such as cropping, resizing, brightness, contrast, or formatting, may be permitted provided that they do not distort, conceal, or misrepresent the underlying data or geographical information.

AI-generated visual materials may be used when image generation or manipulation constitutes an explicit and legitimate component of the research methodology. In such cases, the use of AI must be fully disclosed and described in the Methods section, including the purpose, tool or model used, relevant procedures, and steps taken to verify the resulting output.

Maps and other spatial visualizations must accurately represent the underlying geographical data. AI tools must not be used to fabricate locations, spatial patterns, boundaries, coordinates, or other geographical information.

For Reviewers – Use of Generative AI in Peer Review

All manuscripts submitted to Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi, together with reviewer reports and related editorial materials, must be treated as strictly confidential.

Reviewers must not upload submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports, unpublished datasets, spatial data, field information, or any part of confidential editorial materials into publicly available generative AI or AI-assisted tools. Such use may compromise confidentiality, intellectual property rights, research data, and privacy.

Peer review is based on human expertise, critical judgment, and scholarly responsibility. Therefore, reviewers are not permitted to use generative AI or AI-assisted tools to evaluate the scientific, methodological, geographical, spatial, statistical, or substantive content of a manuscript.

Reviewers remain fully responsible and accountable for the accuracy, fairness, confidentiality, integrity, and originality of their review reports.

Reviewers may consider authors’ disclosed use of AI tools as part of the editorial assessment. Any suspected inappropriate, misleading, or undisclosed use of AI should be communicated to the editor.

Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi may use secure and editorially approved AI-assisted systems for limited administrative purposes, such as plagiarism screening, technical manuscript checks, metadata processing, or reviewer identification, provided that such systems comply with applicable confidentiality, privacy, intellectual property, and publication ethics requirements.

For Editors – Use of Generative AI in the Editorial Process

All submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial decisions, and correspondence between authors, reviewers, and editors must be treated as strictly confidential.

Editors must not upload manuscripts, reviewer reports, decision letters, unpublished research data, or confidential editorial correspondence into publicly available generative AI or AI-assisted tools.

Editorial assessment and decision-making must remain based on human expertise, critical judgment, and editorial responsibility. Editors are therefore not permitted to use generative AI or AI-assisted tools to independently evaluate the scientific quality, methodological validity, geographical analysis, spatial data, ethical compliance, or substantive contribution of manuscripts, nor may AI systems determine editorial decisions.

Editors remain fully responsible and accountable for:

• The integrity of the editorial and peer-review process.
• Editorial decisions concerning submitted manuscripts.
• The confidentiality of manuscripts, research data, and editorial correspondence.
• The fair and ethical treatment of authors and reviewers.
• Addressing potential violations of the journal’s AI policy.

Editors may evaluate authors’ AI disclosure statements as part of the editorial assessment. If inappropriate, undisclosed, or potentially unethical use of AI is identified, the editor may request clarification from the authors or take further action in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics policies.

Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi may employ secure, editor-approved AI-assisted systems for limited administrative functions, including plagiarism screening, technical manuscript checks, metadata processing, and reviewer identification. Such systems must be used in accordance with applicable standards for confidentiality, data protection, intellectual property, and publication ethics.

Transparency and Disclosure of AI Use

Authors are encouraged to maintain transparency regarding any substantial use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools during geographical research or manuscript preparation.

Where disclosure is required, authors should identify:

1. The name of the AI tool, system, or model used.
2. The purpose for which the tool was used.
3. The stage of the research or manuscript preparation in which the tool was used.
4. The extent to which AI contributed to the research or manuscript.
5. The procedures used by the authors to verify and validate AI-assisted outputs.

Where AI is used as an integral component of geographical research methodology, the relevant information should be provided in the Methods section so that readers can understand the role of AI in the research process and assess the reproducibility and reliability of the methodology.

AI tools should be regarded as assistive technologies rather than substitutes for human scholarly responsibility. Final responsibility for all content, data, analyses, maps, figures, interpretations, and conclusions submitted to Geosfera: Jurnal Penelitian Geografi remains with the authors.