Conflict of Interest Policy for Reviewers

Reviewers for the Libyan Journal of Dentistry are required to disclose all actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest before accepting a review invitation, and to withdraw at any time during the review if a previously unknown conflict comes to light.

Categories of Conflict

A reviewer must decline the invitation, or withdraw, in any of the following circumstances:

  • Personal relationships — a current or recent personal or family relationship with any of the authors; personal animosity towards any of the authors.
  • Professional and academic relationships — co-authorship within the past three years; a shared grant or formal collaboration; a current or recent supervisor/supervisee relationship; institutional affiliation in common.
  • Competing scientific interests — active competing research on the same topic; a submitted or in-press manuscript that directly competes.
  • Financial interests — direct financial interest in any product affected by the work; recent paid consultancy or honoraria; patent applications related to the subject of the work.

Disclosure at the Point of Invitation

Every review invitation includes a confidentiality and conflict-of-interest declaration that the reviewer must complete before accepting. Where the reviewer is uncertain whether a circumstance constitutes a conflict, the presumption is to disclose.

Withdrawal during the Review

If a conflict of interest becomes apparent after the review has begun, the reviewer notifies the handling editor immediately.

Use of the Manuscript

A reviewer who accepts a review undertakes: not to use any unpublished material from the manuscript for their own purposes; not to retain a copy of the manuscript after the review is complete; not to discuss the manuscript with anyone other than the handling editor; and not to upload the manuscript to any third-party service, including AI tools.

Consequences of Breach

A reviewer who breaches this policy may be removed from the reviewer panel, reported to their institution, and excluded from future review invitations.