Authorship and Conflict of Interest Policy

The Tobruk University Journal of Medical Sciences (TUJMS) maintains a clear, transparent, and ethical authorship policy in line with internationally accepted standards. Authorship must accurately reflect substantial scholarly contribution and shared responsibility for the integrity of the published work.

This policy is aligned with the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the ethical guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Authorship Criteria

To qualify as an author, an individual must meet all of the following criteria, as defined by the ICMJE:

  1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data
  2. Drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectual content
  3. Final approval of the version to be published
  4. Accountability for all aspects of the work, ensuring the integrity and accuracy of any part of the manuscript

Activities such as funding acquisition, general supervision, administrative support, or data collection alone do not qualify for authorship.

Order of Authors

The order of authors should reflect the relative scientific contribution of each author and must be agreed upon by all co-authors prior to submission.

The Editorial Board does not adjudicate authorship order disputes but may request clarification or documentation if inconsistencies or ethical concerns arise.

Corresponding Author Responsibilities

The corresponding author is responsible for:

  • Managing all communication with the journal throughout submission, peer review, and publication
  • Ensuring that all listed authors meet the authorship criteria
  • Confirming that all co-authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript
  • Ensuring that all authors agree to the manuscript’s submission and publication

Changes to Authorship

Requests to add, remove, or reorder authors after submission are not permitted unless:

  • Written consent is provided by all authors, including any author being added or removed
  • A clear and justified explanation for the change is submitted in writing

The Editorial Board reserves the right to reject unjustified authorship changes and to suspend editorial processing while concerns are investigated.

Acknowledgement of Non-Author Contributions

Individuals or organisations that contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria (e.g. statistical support, language editing, technical assistance, or funding support) must be acknowledged in the Acknowledgements section, subject to their consent.

Acknowledgement does not imply endorsement or responsibility for the manuscript content.

Conflict of Interest

All authors must disclose any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could be perceived to influence the conduct, interpretation, or reporting of the research.

If no conflicts exist, authors must explicitly state:
“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

Failure to disclose conflicts may result in rejection, correction, or retraction.

Misconduct in Authorship

Suspected authorship misconduct—including ghost authorship, guest or honorary authorship, or unjust exclusion of contributors—will be investigated in accordance with COPE procedures.

Where misconduct is confirmed, TUJMS may take appropriate editorial action, including rejection, retraction, notification of institutions, or publication of an expression of concern.

Policy Review

This policy is reviewed biennially or as required to remain aligned with evolving international best practices in scholarly publishing.

Contact

For authorship-related queries or to report concerns, please contact the TUJMS Editorial Office at:
tujms@tu.edu.ly