Authorship Policy

This policy outlines the criteria for authorship and defines the responsibilities of all contributors to manuscripts submitted to the Libyan Open University Journal of Applied Sciences (LOUJAS). It is based on international standards for ethical academic publishing.

1. Criteria for Authorship 

Authorship should be based on meeting all of the following four criteria:

  1. Substantial Contribution: The individual must have made a significant contribution to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work.

  2. Drafting and Revision: The individual must have been involved in drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content.

  3. Final Approval: The individual must have given final approval of the version to be published.

  4. Accountability: The individual must agree to be personally accountable for their own contributions and to ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Individuals who do not meet all four criteria should be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgments" section rather than being listed as authors.

2. Corresponding Author

The corresponding author is the individual who takes primary responsibility for communication with the journal. They handle the manuscript submission process, manage communication with co-authors, and ensure that the author list and acknowledgements are accurate. The corresponding author is also responsible for managing the peer review process and revisions and ensuring that all co-authors approve the final version.

3. Changes to Authorship

Any changes to the author list, such as adding or removing an author or changing the order of authors, must be approved by all authors. Requests for changes must be submitted to the journal's editorial office with a signed statement from every author (including those being added or removed) confirming their agreement. Such requests should clearly explain the reason for the change.

4. Author Responsibilities

  • All authors must ensure that their work is original and that all sources are properly cited to avoid plagiarism.

  • Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest that could be perceived as influencing the results or interpretation of their manuscript.

  • All authors are responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the data presented in the manuscript.

  • The journal requires a clear statement that all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.