Policy on Research Ethics, Scientific Integrity, and Procedures for Handling Violations

The Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of research ethics and scientific integrity. This policy aligns with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and international indexing requirements (e.g., Scopus).

First: General Ethical Principles

Honesty & Integrity

Research must be conducted honestly, without fabrication or data manipulation. Full disclosure of funding and contributions is mandatory.

Objectivity & Fairness

Peer review and editorial decisions are based strictly on scholarly merit and scientific quality without any bias.

Confidentiality

All manuscripts are treated as confidential documents during the review process, protecting both intellectual property and personal data.

Compliance

All submissions are screened via iThenticate. A similarity index below 20% is required for acceptance.

Second: Responsibilities & Misconduct Handling
1. Conduct Guidelines (Authors, Reviewers, Editors)
  • Authors: Ensure data accuracy, declare conflicts of interest, and list only actual contributors.
  • Reviewers: Maintain objectivity, decline conflicted requests, and respect confidentiality.
  • Editors: Ensure unbiased decisions and investigate ethical concerns independently.
2. Definitions of Misconduct
  • Plagiarism: Using others' work without proper attribution.
  • Double Submission: Submitting the same work to multiple journals simultaneously.
  • Fabrication: Inventing or falsifying research data and results.
3. Investigation Procedures
Formal committees are established to investigate suspected Misconduct in accordance with COPE flowcharts, ensuring confidentiality and impartiality for all parties involved.
4. Sanctions and Corrective Actions
  • Authors: Rejection, temporary submission ban, or formal retraction of published work.
  • Reviewers/Editors: Removal from the database or position in cases of proven unethical behavior.

Appeals Process: Authors may appeal decisions within 30 days of notification. An independent committee will review the case and provide a binding decision.

Publisher: The Libyan Academy for Postgraduate Studies, Misrata Branch

Publisher Website: https://lam.edu.ly

Email: editorinchief@lam-journal.ly