The Policy of Ethical Roles and Responsibilities of the Publisher
As the official publisher of the Journal, Libyan Academy - Misurata Branch acknowledges its fundamental ethical responsibility to safeguard the integrity, transparency, and academic rigor of the academic publishing process. In alignment with international ethical standards and best practices outlined by international organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the following roles and responsibilities are assumed by the University in its capacity as publisher:
- Editorial Independence
The publisher supports the complete academic and editorial independence of the editorial board. Editorial decisions are made based on the academic merit of submissions, free from any commercial, political, or institutional influences.
- Integrity of the Academic Record
The University ensures the long-term preservation of scholarly content. It commits to maintaining the integrity of the academic record by supporting transparent issuance of retractions, corrections, or expressions of concern when necessary.
- Support for Ethical Publishing Practices
The publisher provides clear guidelines and training to editors, reviewers, and authors to promote ethical behavior at all stages of the publishing process, including:
- Prevention of plagiarism and unethical authorship practices.
- Ensuring proper peer review mechanisms are upheld.
- Protecting confidentiality during peer review.
- Addressing conflicts of interest appropriately.
- Ensuring Quality and Transparency
The publisher maintains clear policies on authorship, data availability, funding disclosure, and conflicts of interest, all of which are made publicly accessible. Manuscripts are evaluated for originality, methodological soundness, scientific rigor, and relevance.
- Responsiveness to Misconduct
In cases of alleged or proven scientific misconduct, the publisher works in coordination with the editorial board and relevant institutions to take prompt and appropriate action, which may include corrections, retractions, or legal measures.
- Commitment to Accessibility and Archiving
The publisher ensures that all published content is accessible through reliable digital platforms and is archived using recognized services to guarantee long-term availability and discoverability.
- Promotion of Ethical Research Culture
The University, as a publisher, advocates for a research environment that values honesty, accountability, respect, and fairness. It actively supports initiatives that foster responsible conduct in both research and publication.
- Compliance with International Standards
The journal adheres to the standards and requirements of indexing and abstracting bodies, such as Scopus, and continuously updates its practices to reflect the evolving norms in academic publishing.
