Conflict of Interest Policy

The Journal of Libya for Geographical Studies (JLGS) is committed to the principles of integrity, transparency, and objectivity throughout all stages of the publication and peer review processes. The journal seeks to identify, disclose, and appropriately manage conflicts of interest in order to safeguard the independence of editorial decisions and the integrity of the scientific evaluation process.

A conflict of interest refers to any personal, professional, financial, academic, or institutional relationship or interest that may affect the objectivity of an author, reviewer, or editor, or that may reasonably be perceived as influencing the research findings, their evaluation, or the decision regarding publication.

Authors are required to disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest when submitting a manuscript, including financial interests, professional or institutional relationships, sources of funding or support, and any other affiliations that may affect the objectivity of the research or the interpretation of its findings.

Authors are also required to disclose the sources of funding for the research and to state, where applicable, the role of the funding organization in the study design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation of results, or preparation of the manuscript.

Reviewers are required to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest before accepting a review assignment and to decline to review a manuscript if they have any relationship or interest that may affect their impartiality and objectivity. Reviewers must not use information, data, or ideas contained in unpublished manuscripts for personal or research purposes.

Editors and members of the Editorial Board are required to disclose any conflict of interest related to submitted manuscripts and to refrain from participating in editorial decisions or overseeing the peer review process when such a conflict may affect the independence of the decision. An alternative editor may be assigned when necessary to ensure the impartiality of the editorial process.

The existence of a conflict of interest, in itself, does not constitute misconduct or evidence of research misconduct. However, it must be disclosed, its potential impact assessed, and appropriate measures taken to ensure integrity and objectivity.

If a substantive conflict of interest is identified after publication, the journal may take appropriate editorial action, including publishing a clarification or correction statement, or taking any other appropriate action in accordance with the journal’s policies and the principles of publication ethics.

The journal handles conflicts of interest confidentially and professionally and encourages all parties involved in the publication process to provide full and transparent disclosure of any interests that may affect the objectivity of the research or its evaluation, thereby strengthening the integrity, transparency, and scientific credibility of the journal.