The Lebanese Medical Journal (LMJ) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of research integrity, publication ethics, and professional conduct. The journal follows the principles and best practices established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and adheres to internationally recognized ethical guidelines for scholarly publishing. All authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members are expected to comply with these ethical standards throughout the submission, review, and publication process.

Research Ethics

Research involving human participants must be conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Ethics Committee. Authors must clearly state the name of the approving institution and approval number, where applicable.

For studies involving human participants, informed consent must be obtained from all participants or their legal representatives. Authors should confirm that participant privacy and confidentiality have been protected.

Research involving animals must comply with applicable institutional, national, and international guidelines for animal welfare and ethical treatment.

Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship should be limited to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the study. All authors must:

• Approve the final version of the manuscript.
• Agree to its submission and publication.
• Accept responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the work.
• Individuals who contributed to the research but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged appropriately.

The journal does not tolerate guest, honorary, or ghost authorship.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors must submit only original work. Manuscripts must not contain plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or unacknowledged use of another person's work, data, figures, or ideas.

All submissions may be screened using plagiarism-detection software. Manuscripts found to contain significant plagiarism may be rejected immediately and may be subject to further editorial action.

Data Integrity and Research Misconduct

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all data presented in their manuscripts are accurate, reliable, and honestly reported.

The following practices constitute research misconduct and are strictly prohibited:

• Data fabrication
• Data falsification
• Manipulation of images or results
• Misrepresentation of research findings
• Citation manipulation

Any suspected misconduct will be investigated according to COPE recommendations.

Duplicate Submission and Redundant Publication

Manuscripts submitted to LMJ must not be under consideration by another journal simultaneously. Authors should not submit work that has been previously published or substantially overlaps with another published article unless proper disclosure is provided and editorial approval is obtained.

Conflict of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any financial, institutional, professional, or personal relationships that could influence the objectivity of the research or editorial decisions.

All conflicts of interest must be clearly declared within the manuscript.

Funding Disclosure

Authors must identify all sources of funding and financial support related to the research. The role of the funding organization in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and manuscript preparation should be disclosed where relevant.

Peer Review Ethics

LMJ operates a double-blind peer review process. Reviewers are expected to:

• Maintain confidentiality of all manuscript information.
• Provide objective, constructive, and unbiased evaluations.
• Declare conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment.
• Report suspected ethical concerns or research misconduct.

Editors will ensure that peer review is conducted fairly, independently, and without discrimination.

Corrections and Retractions

When significant errors, inaccuracies, or ethical concerns are identified after publication, the journal may publish corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions as appropriate. Such actions will be guided by COPE recommendations and editorial judgment.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are based solely on the scientific quality, originality, relevance, and ethical integrity of submitted work. Decisions are made without regard to the authors’ nationality, ethnicity, gender, institutional affiliation, religious beliefs, or political views.

Complaints and Ethical Concerns

Authors, reviewers, and readers may raise concerns regarding publication ethics, editorial decisions, or research integrity. All complaints will be handled fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with COPE principles and procedures.

Commitment to Ethical Publishing

LMJ is dedicated to promoting ethical research, responsible authorship, transparent peer review, and integrity in scholarly communication. The journal reserves the right to reject, retract, or take appropriate editorial action against manuscripts that violate ethical standards or publication policies.