Journal Medical Libanais (JML) is committed to promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity in scholarly publishing. The journal follows the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding authorship and contributorship. All individuals listed as authors must have made substantial intellectual contributions to the work and must accept responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the published research.

Criteria for Authorship

JML adopts the ICMJE authorship criteria. To qualify as an author, each individual must meet all of the following requirements:

• Make substantial contributions to the conception or design of the study, or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data.
• Participate in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.
• Approve the final version of the manuscript before submission and publication.
• Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work and ensure that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the research are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Individuals who do not satisfy all four criteria should not be listed as authors but may be acknowledged appropriately.

Corresponding Author

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that:

• All listed authors meet the journal's authorship criteria.
• No qualified contributor has been omitted and no inappropriate individual has been included as an author.
• All authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript before submission.
• All required ethical declarations, authorship information, conflict of interest disclosures, and submission documents are complete and accurate.
• Communication with the Editorial Office is maintained throughout the editorial and publication process.
• All co-authors are kept informed of editorial decisions, reviewer comments, and publication status.

Contributorship

The journal encourages transparency regarding each author's individual contributions. Authors should clearly describe their specific roles in the research and manuscript preparation. Contributions may include, but are not limited to:

• Conceptualization
• Study design
• Data collection
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Methodology
• Software development
• Investigation
• Writing – original draft
• Writing – review and editing
• Visualization
• Supervision
• Project administration
• Funding acquisition

A contributorship statement may be published with the article to improve transparency and accountability.

Acknowledgements

Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately. Examples include technical assistance, language editing, administrative support, statistical consultation, data collection assistance, or financial support. Authors should obtain permission from acknowledged individuals before including their names.

Changes in Authorship

Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors after manuscript submission or publication will be considered only under exceptional circumstances. Such requests must:

• Be submitted by the corresponding author with a detailed explanation for the proposed change.
• Include written consent from all listed authors and any individual being added or removed.
• Be reviewed by the Editorial Office before a decision is made.

The journal may suspend editorial processing until the authorship issue has been resolved. Changes to authorship after publication may require the publication of a correction in accordance with COPE recommendations.

Authorship Disputes

The journal does not adjudicate disputes regarding authorship. Authors are expected to resolve disagreements among themselves or through their affiliated institutions before submission. If a dispute arises during peer review or after publication, the journal may suspend editorial consideration while the matter is investigated by the relevant institution. Editorial action will be taken based on the outcome of the institutional investigation and in accordance with COPE guidance.

Unacceptable Authorship Practices

Journal Medical Libanais does not permit unethical authorship practices, including but not limited to:

• Guest or honorary authorship.
• Gift authorship.
• Ghost authorship.
• Purchased or sold authorship.
• Misrepresentation of individual contributions.
• Omission of eligible contributors who meet authorship criteria.

Any suspected violation may result in manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, article retraction, notification of the authors' institutions, or other appropriate actions consistent with COPE recommendations.

Author Accountability

All authors share responsibility for the integrity, originality, and accuracy of the published work. Authors must ensure that the research complies with ethical standards, that data are presented honestly without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate manipulation, and that all sources are properly cited. Authors remain accountable for responding to editorial questions and cooperating with investigations into alleged research misconduct before or after publication.

Journal Medical Libanais is committed to maintaining transparency, fairness, and ethical responsibility in authorship and contributorship by adhering to the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), thereby ensuring confidence in the integrity of the scholarly record.