Instructions for Authors

The Tobruk University Journal of Medical Sciences (TUJMS) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access medical journal published by the University of Tobruk, Libya. The journal publishes high-quality, evidence-based research across biomedical, clinical, and public health sciences, with relevance to regional and global health.

All manuscripts submitted to the Tobruk University Journal of Medical Sciences (TUJMS) must comply with the journal’s policies and requirements, as outlined in these Instructions for Authors and the TUJMS Policies pages. Manuscripts that do not adhere to these requirements may be returned for correction or rejected prior to peer review.

Originality, Exclusivity, and Prior Dissemination

Manuscripts must present original scholarly work that has not been previously published in a peer-reviewed journal and is not under consideration elsewhere.

The following are permitted with full disclosure at submission:

• Manuscripts derived from academic theses or dissertations
• Manuscripts previously posted as preprints on recognised platforms

The corresponding author must confirm that:

• All authors have reviewed and approved the manuscript
• The author list and order are final and agreed
• The work is original and complies with all journal policies

Authorship, Contributor ship, and Accountability

Authorship must comply with the criteria of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Each author must:

• Make substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work, or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data
• Draft the manuscript or revise it critically for important intellectual content
• Approve the final version to be published
• Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Author contributions must be reported using the CRediT taxonomy.

Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria must be acknowledged with their permission. Ghost, guest, or honorary authorship is not permitted.

Ethical Approval and Research Integrity

Human Research

All studies involving human participants must:

• Receive prior approval from an appropriate ethics committee or institutional review board
• Include written informed consent from participants
• Comply with the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant regulations

The manuscript must state the ethics committee name, approval number, and approval date.

Consent for Publication

Explicit consent is required for identifiable patient information or images.

Animal Research

Animal studies must:

• Be approved by an authorised animal ethics committee
• Comply with recognised animal welfare standards

Manuscripts lacking appropriate ethical approval or justification may be rejected without external review.

Clinical Trial Registration

Clinical trials must be registered in a publicly accessible registry prior to participant enrolment. The registry name and registration number must be included in the manuscript.

Plagiarism and Scientific Misconduct

All submissions are screened using plagiarism-detection software.

Unacceptable practices include:

• Plagiarism
• Duplicate or redundant publication
• Data fabrication or falsification
• Inappropriate image manipulation

Confirmed misconduct may result in rejection, retraction, or notification of institutions, in accordance with COPE guidance.

Conflicts of Interest and Funding

All authors must disclose financial and non-financial conflicts of interest that could be perceived to influence the work.

All manuscripts must include:

• Funding
• Conflicts of Interest

If none exist, authors must state:

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”
“This research received no external funding.”

Data Availability

All manuscripts must include a Data Availability Statement indicating:

• Where data and code are available; or
• Conditions under which data may be accessed; or
• Justification for any restrictions

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI tools may be used only for supportive purposes such as language editing or formatting.

• AI tools must not be listed as authors
• All AI use must be disclosed
• Authors remain fully responsible for all content

Submission Components

All submissions must be made via the TUJMS online submission system and must include the required forms and documents (see Forms section):

Required Forms:

• Journal Template
• Author Declaration, Contribution, and Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form

Manuscript Files:

• A complete manuscript file (.doc or .docx) including author names and affiliations
• A blinded manuscript file (.doc or .docx) with all author-identifying information removed for double-blind peer review

Additional Documents (where applicable):

• Ethics approval documentation
• Reporting checklists

Incomplete submissions may be returned prior to peer review.

Manuscript Preparation and Structure

Title Page

• Title, article type, authors, and affiliations
• Affiliations must include department, institution, city, and country
• Corresponding author contact details (email and telephone)

Abstract (250–300 words)

Structured format:
Background – Aim – Methods – Results – Conclusion

Main Text

• Introduction
• Materials and Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Limitations
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgements

Statistical Reporting

Authors must:

• Specify statistical tests used and justify their selection
• Report effect sizes and confidence intervals where appropriate
• Provide exact p-values
• Describe handling of missing data
• Specify statistical software and version

Mandatory Sections

All manuscripts must include:

• Ethics approval and consent
• Author Contributions (CRediT)
• Funding
• Conflicts of Interest
• Data Availability
• References

References

Vancouver style is required. References must be numbered consecutively in the order of first citation.

In-text examples:

Single reference: ¹
Multiple consecutive references: ³–⁵
non-consecutive references: ¹, ⁴, ⁷

Reference examples:

Journal article:
Smith J, Brown A. Antimicrobial resistance patterns. J Med Sci. 2023;15(2):123–129.

More than six authors:
Ahmed M, Saleh R, Hassan A, et al. Epidemiology of diabetes. Lancet Reg Health Afr. 2024; 6:100123.

Book:
Murray PR, Rosenthal KS. Medical Microbiology. 9th ed. Elsevier; 2023.

Online report:
World Health Organization. Global tuberculosis report 2024 [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2024 [cited 2025 Jan 15]. Available from: (full report URL).

Tables and Figures

• Tables must be editable, numbered consecutively, and clearly titled
• Figures must be submitted in high resolution (minimum 300 dpi)
• Figure legends must clearly explain all symbols and abbreviations

Peer Review and Editorial Decisions

TUJMS operates a double-blind peer-review process.

Editorial decisions are based on:

• Scientific merit
• Methodological rigour
• Ethical compliance
• Relevance to the journal’s scope

The Editor-in-Chief holds final responsibility for all editorial decisions.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by submitting a reasoned request to the Editorial Office. Complaints are handled in accordance with TUJMS publication policies.

Post-Publication Actions

TUJMS may issue corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions where necessary to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Archiving and Long-Term Preservation

TUJMS ensures long-term digital preservation of its published content through the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN), ensuring permanent accessibility of the scholarly record.