Editorial Policies

Section

Details

Mission and Vision Statement

The Tobruk University Journal of Medical Sciences (TUJMS) is committed to advancing global medical knowledge by publishing peer-reviewed, high-quality research across all health-related disciplines. Our mission is to provide a trusted platform for scholars, researchers, and clinicians to share impactful scientific findings that benefit patients, communities, and healthcare systems worldwide.

Editorial Process and Peer Review

TUJMS follows a rigorous double-blind peer review process in line with international best practices. All submissions are initially screened for scope, ethical adherence, and formatting. Manuscripts passing this stage are assigned to at least two independent reviewers with subject expertise.

Reviewers evaluate:

  • Originality and scholarly contribution
  • Validity and methodological rigour
  • Reproducibility of findings
  • Ethical compliance and transparency
  • Structure, coherence, and clarity
  • Relevance to TUJMS’s readership

Editors make final decisions based on reviewers’ feedback. Guest editors may be appointed for special thematic issues. Authors must respond to all reviewer comments during revision rounds. Reviewers must maintain confidentiality, declare any conflicts, and provide constructive, unbiased feedback.

Open Access Policy

TUJMS is a fully open-access journal. All articles are freely available immediately upon publication under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Highlights:

  • No article processing or submission fees
  • Authors retain copyright
  • Encouraged preprint and postprint archiving
  • Alignment with Plan S and UNESCO Open Science Recommendations

Plagiarism and Research Misconduct

TUJMS uses iThenticate and Turnitin’s AI Writing Detection Tool (v2.0) to screen all submissions for plagiarism. Plagiarism includes:

  • Copying others’ work without attribution
  • Reusing published content without citation
  • Manipulating images or data
  • Fraudulent authorship (ghost or honorary authors)

A maximum similarity index of 20% is allowed (excluding references), and no more than 5% similarity is permitted from a single source. Manuscripts exceeding these thresholds may be returned for revision or rejected.

If plagiarism is discovered post-publication, the article will be retracted, and appropriate legal, administrative, or editorial action may be taken. TUJMS follows COPE guidelines when handling such cases.

Percentage of AI Content Allowed

TUJMS permits responsible and transparent use of AI tools to assist with manuscript preparation, provided such tools do not replace the core intellectual and analytical contribution of the authors.

  • Acceptable AI-generated content is limited to a maximum of 30% of the manuscript.
  • AI tools may be used for tasks such as language editing, grammar correction, formatting, and generating background text, but not for primary data analysis, interpretation, or conclusion writing.
  • Authors must explicitly declare any use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly, DALL·E) in the Methods or Acknowledgements section.
  • AI-generated figures or visualisations must be clearly labelled and attributed.
  • Manuscripts suspected of exceeding the 30% AI content threshold will undergo evaluation using AI-detection tools and manual editorial assessment.
  • Submissions found to contain excessive or undisclosed AI content (above 30%) will be rejected.
  • TUJMS reserves the right to request a declaration form or raw data to verify the extent of AI usage.

This policy ensures the scientific integrity, originality, and human authorship of published research.

Ethical Standards and Approvals

Submissions involving humans, animals, or sensitive data must comply with ethical standards:

  • Ethics committee or IRB approval with reference number
  • Informed consent from participants
  • Clear data privacy safeguards
  • ARRIVE-compliant animal studies
  • Trial registration for clinical studies

Ethics documents must be uploaded at submission.

Authorship Criteria

Each author must:

  • Contribute substantially to the research
  • Draft or critically revise the manuscript
  • Approve the final version
  • Take accountability for the integrity of the work

Corresponding author responsibilities:

  • Ensure all authors review and approve the submission
  • Handle communication with the editorial office
  • Submit data availability, COI, ethics, and license forms
  • Ensure data and materials are retained and verifiable

Individuals not meeting authorship criteria must be listed in the acknowledgements.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

All parties (authors, reviewers, editors) must disclose:

  • Financial support or affiliations
  • Personal or academic relationships

If none exist, state: “The authors declare no conflicts of interest.”

Data Sharing and Transparency

TUJMS supports open data and reproducibility:

  • Include a Data Availability Statement
  • Use open repositories (e.g., Zenodo, Dryad)
  • Share software code via GitHub or similar platforms
  • Cite reused datasets appropriately

Copyright and Archiving

Authors retain full copyright. TUJMS ensures perpetual access via:

  • Institutional repositories
  • Indexing metadata and digital preservation

Editorial Governance and Independence

TUJMS is overseen by an independent Editorial Board:

  • Includes multidisciplinary experts
  • Conducts annual ethical declarations
  • Reviews board appointments every three years
  • Ensures integrity, transparency, and independence

Preprint Policy

TUJMS accepts preprints. Authors must:

  • Disclose preprint DOI at submission
  • Ensure preprint does not violate copyright

Reporting Standards

TUJMS requires adherence to internationally recognised reporting guidelines to ensure transparency, consistency, and rigour in the presentation of health research. Authors must follow the appropriate standards based on study type, including but not limited to:

  • CONSORT for randomised clinical trials
  • PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses
  • STROBE for observational studies
  • CARE for case reports
  • ARRIVE for animal research

Completed reporting checklists must be uploaded at the time of manuscript submission. This requirement enhances reproducibility, promotes methodological clarity, and allows reviewers and readers to better assess the validity and reliability of the work. Authors are encouraged to consult the EQUATOR Network for guideline details: https://www.equator-network.org. of international reporting guidelines is mandatory. TUJMS requires the use of:

  • CONSORT, PRISMA, STROBE, CARE, ARRIVE
  • Submission of appropriate reporting checklists is mandatory and must be uploaded alongside the manuscript at the time of submission. This requirement ensures that submitted research complies with internationally recognised standards for transparency, completeness, and methodological rigour. These checklists assist editors and peer reviewers in evaluating the reliability and quality of the research. TUJMS enforces this policy to uphold scientific integrity and reproducibility. For details on which checklist corresponds to each study type (e.g., CONSORT for randomised trials, PRISMA for systematic reviews), authors should consult the EQUATOR Network: https://www.equator-network.org

Editorial Transparency and Performance

TUJMS monitors:

  • Median time to decision
  • Peer review efficiency
  • Acceptance and rejection rates
  • Annual performance metrics

Corrections, Retractions, and Appeals

Post-publication changes follow COPE guidance:

  • Erratum: Production error
  • Corrigendum: Author correction
  • Retraction: Ethical breach
  • Expression of Concern: Pending investigation

Appeals must include detailed justifications.

Reviewer Responsibilities and Recognition

Reviewers must:

  • Maintain confidentiality
  • Avoid conflicts of interest
  • Provide timely, objective feedback

TUJMS recognises reviewers through:

  • Certificates of contribution
  • Optional Publons integration

Statement on Fair Evaluation

TUJMS evaluates all submissions based solely on scientific merit. Editorial decisions are made impartially, without regard to the author’s nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, religion, or beliefs. TUJMS upholds fairness and transparency while respecting Libya’s academic and cultural context. The journal maintains professionalism and cultural appropriateness in all editorial communication and peer review processes to foster an inclusive and respectful scholarly environment.

Research Funding Disclosure

All funding sources must be disclosed in the manuscript to enhance transparency and allow readers to assess potential sources of bias. If no funding was received, authors must explicitly state: "This research received no external funding." This disclosure supports the journal’s commitment to research integrity and helps ensure a fair evaluation of the scientific findings regardless of financial backing. “This research received no external funding.”

Disclaimer

Views expressed in TUJMS articles are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of the journal or University of Tobruk.

Crossref DOI and Indexing

TUJMS is actively progressing toward formal indexing and citation integration. Efforts include:

  • Crossref DOI Prefix Activation: The application for a Crossref DOI prefix has been submitted. TUJMS expects DOI activation and implementation by Q4 2025, allowing permanent digital identifiers for all published articles.
  • Indexing Application Submissions: Indexing applications to major scholarly databases—including DOAJ, Scopus, and PubMed Central—are underway or planned for submission by Q1 2026.
  • Metadata Compliance: The journal ensures compliance with XML metadata standards and technical protocols required by major repositories and indexers.These steps support long-term discoverability, global accessibility, and citation tracking of TUJMS publications.

Global Scope of Contributions

TUJMS welcomes submissions from researchers worldwide, reaffirming its commitment to global inclusivity, outreach, and equitable representation in scientific publishing. The journal aims to amplify voices from diverse geographical regions, including underrepresented and low-resource settings.

Article types

 

We accept original research and scholarly articles in a broad range of health sciences fields, including but not limited to:

  • Clinical and preclinical medicine (internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics, etc.)
  • Public health, community medicine, and epidemiology
  • Pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
  • Biomedical sciences, molecular biology, and laboratory diagnostics
  • Dentistry and oral health sciences
  • Nursing, midwifery, and allied health professions
  • Medical technology and health informatics

Submission Declarations

By submitting, authors confirm:

  1. Manuscript is original and not under review elsewhere
  2. All authors approve the submission
  3. Necessary permissions have been obtained
  4. Ethical approvals are documented
  5. AI content is ≤30% and disclosed
  6. Submission complies with TUJMS policies.
   

Use of AI Detection Tools

AI-detection software may be used to flag:

  • Ghostwritten content
  • Excessive AI use
  • Undisclosed AI authorship

Language and Copyediting Policy

Submissions must be in clear, academic English. Language barriers may result in revision requests. Non-native speakers are encouraged to use editing services.

Post-Acceptance Workflow

Post-acceptance stages:

  • Technical editing and layout formatting
  • Author proofreading
  • Final publication upon approval

Delays in author response may delay publication.

Advertising and Sponsorship Policy

Currently, TUJMS does not accept advertising or sponsorship. In the event that future sponsorship opportunities arise, all sponsorships will be managed independently of the editorial decision-making process. The journal will establish clear policies to ensure that sponsorship arrangements do not influence content selection, peer review outcomes, or editorial independence. All sponsorships will be disclosed transparently and handled in accordance with ethical publishing standards to maintain the integrity of the journal. Future sponsorships will follow strict transparency and ethical standards.

 

Contact Information:

Email:

Website:

Editor-in-Chief, TUJMS

tujms@tu.edu.ly

https://journals.tu.edu.ly/tujms/index.php/jms