Policy of Non- CAuthor

Policy on Non-Author Contributors

Many manuscripts published in the Libyan Journal of Dentistry rely on the contributions of individuals who do not meet the full ICMJE criteria for authorship. These contributors deserve appropriate recognition.

Who is a Non-author Contributor

A non-author contributor is any person who has contributed to the work but does not meet all four ICMJE authorship criteria. Common examples include:

• Statistical or epidemiological consultants who advised on study design or analysis but did not draft or critically revise the manuscript;
• Laboratory technicians who performed specific procedures under the direction of an author;
• Clinicians who referred patients, provided clinical access, or shared anonymized records but did not meet the other criteria;
• Language editors and translators who improved the manuscript's English or Arabic;
• Administrative staff who managed the logistics of the study;
• Generative artificial-intelligence tools used in language editing or analysis (these can never be listed as authors).

Recognition through the Acknowledgements Section

All non-author contributors who agree to be named are credited in the Acknowledgements section of the published article. The Acknowledgements section should briefly describe the nature of each contribution.

Required Permission

Because being named in the Acknowledgements may be interpreted by readers as implying endorsement of the work, every individual named must have given written permission before submission. The corresponding author retains a copy of each permission and provides it to the editorial office on request.

Generative Artificial Intelligence as a Non-author Contributor

Generative AI and AI-assisted tools cannot be listed as authors. Where such tools have been used substantively, the corresponding author must: disclose the name and version of the tool; describe the specific task for which it was used; state that the authors take full responsibility for the content; and include the disclosure both on the title page and in the methods section.

Funding Sources

Funding sources are not contributors and are not listed in the Acknowledgements. Funding is disclosed separately in the Funding Statement on the title page.

Honorary, Ghost, and Gift Authorship

LJD does not accept honorary, ghost, or gift authorship in any form. An individual who has contributed nothing of substance to a study must not be listed as an author. Conversely, a person who has made an authorship-level contribution must not be omitted from the author list.