Authorship Policy

The LOUJMSS adheres to the principle that authorship should be based on a substantial contribution to the work, ensuring credit is given to those who have earned it and holding them accountable for the published research.

• Criteria for Authorship: All individuals listed as authors must meet the criteria for authorship. These typically include:

  1. Significant contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work.

  2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content.

  3. Final approval of the version to be published.

  4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

• Corresponding Author: The corresponding author is responsible for all communication with the journal during the submission and peer-review process, and for ensuring all co-authors are informed and have approved the manuscript.

• Order of Authors: The order of authors on the manuscript should be a joint decision of all authors. It is typically based on the relative contributions of each individual to the research.

• Acknowledgments: Individuals who do not meet all criteria for authorship but have contributed to the research (e.g., technical assistance, writing assistance, or general support) should be acknowledged in the manuscript's acknowledgments section.

• Unethical Authorship: The journal would strictly prohibit unethical authorship practices such as:

  • Ghost Authorship: Failing to list an individual who has made a significant contribution.

  • Guest or Gift Authorship: Including an individual who has made no significant contribution.