submission@lmj.com
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FAQs
Journal Medical Libanais (JML) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of scholarly publishing through transparent, ethical, and internationally recognized editorial practices. The journal's editorial policies are designed to ensure the publication of high-quality, original, and scientifically sound research while safeguarding the integrity of the academic record. The Editorial Board operates independently and adheres to the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and internationally accepted best practices expected by leading indexing databases, including Scopus.
Editorial decisions are made solely on the basis of scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's scope. Editorial decisions are independent of commercial interests, sponsorship, advertising, institutional affiliations, or political influence. Editors are expected to exercise impartial judgment and maintain complete editorial autonomy throughout the publication process.
Every submitted manuscript undergoes an initial editorial screening to determine whether it falls within the journal's scope and complies with submission requirements. During this stage, manuscripts are evaluated for originality, scientific quality, completeness, ethical compliance, formatting requirements, language quality, and plagiarism. Manuscripts that fail to meet the journal's minimum standards may be returned to the authors for revision or declined before peer review.
The Editorial Office is responsible for managing manuscripts efficiently throughout the editorial workflow. Editorial staff ensure that all required submission documents are complete, author information is accurate, ethical declarations are provided, and manuscripts comply with the journal's submission guidelines before entering peer review.
All eligible manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process. Editors select qualified independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript's subject area while ensuring the absence of conflicts of interest. Editors monitor the review process to ensure fairness, confidentiality, objectivity, and timely completion. Reviewer recommendations are carefully evaluated before any editorial decision is made.
Following peer review, editors evaluate reviewers' comments alongside the scientific quality and ethical standards of the manuscript. Editorial decisions may include acceptance, minor revision, major revision, or rejection. The Editor-in-Chief has the final authority over all publication decisions.
The Editorial Office provides guidance and assistance to authors throughout the submission and publication process. Authors may receive support regarding manuscript preparation, formatting requirements, submission procedures, ethical documentation, revision requirements, publication policies, and technical issues related to online submission. Editorial staff provide administrative support without influencing editorial decisions.
Accepted manuscripts undergo professional copyediting and proofreading to improve grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting, consistency, reference accuracy, and overall readability while preserving the scientific content and authors' intended meaning. Authors receive page proofs for final review and approval before publication. Only minor corrections are permitted at the proof stage unless otherwise approved by the Editor.
The Editorial Office is responsible for organizing accepted manuscripts into scheduled journal issues. Articles are compiled based on editorial planning, publication readiness, and production schedules rather than the order of submission. The journal ensures consistency in formatting, pagination, metadata, indexing information, and publication quality across all issues.
Editors oversee compliance with research and publication ethics throughout the editorial process. Manuscripts involving human participants, animals, or sensitive research materials must include appropriate ethical approval and informed consent where applicable. Editors ensure that all ethical requirements are fulfilled before publication.
Every manuscript is screened using Turnitin or an equivalent plagiarism detection software before peer review. Manuscripts with unacceptable levels of textual similarity, duplicate publication, or suspected plagiarism may be returned for revision or rejected in accordance with the journal's plagiarism policy.
Editors, reviewers, and authors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, or personal conflicts of interest that could influence the editorial or peer review process. Individuals with significant conflicts of interest will not participate in editorial decision-making for the affected manuscript.
All manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial correspondence, and unpublished research are treated as confidential documents. Editors and reviewers must not disclose or use unpublished information for personal, academic, or commercial advantage.
Authors have the right to appeal editorial decisions or submit complaints regarding the editorial process. Appeals are reviewed fairly, objectively, and independently by the Editor-in-Chief or an appropriate member of the Editorial Board who was not involved in the original decision. All complaints are handled confidentially and in accordance with the journal's established procedures.
When significant errors or evidence of research misconduct are identified after publication, the journal will take appropriate corrective action, including publishing corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions. Such actions are implemented in accordance with COPE recommendations to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.
Journal Medical Libanais actively promotes responsible research and ethical publishing. Cases involving plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, image manipulation, inappropriate authorship, citation manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, or other forms of research misconduct are investigated thoroughly. Appropriate actions are taken in accordance with COPE flowcharts and ICMJE recommendations.
The journal continuously reviews and updates its editorial policies to align with international best practices in scholarly publishing. Journal Medical Libanais follows the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and recognized publishing standards expected by major international indexing databases, including Scopus, ensuring transparency, accountability, editorial excellence, and the publication of high-quality scientific research.
