General Policies and Submission Guidelines

I. Submission Terms and Conditions

• SUSJ accepts original research and studies in Applied Sciences from faculty members and specialists. Submissions must be in English.
• Manuscripts must demonstrate originality, linguistic accuracy, sound methodology, and adhere to established academic standards and scientific rigor.
• Submissions must not contain plagiarized material from any existing work (e.g., book, thesis, dissertation, paper) and must not have been previously published or presented at a conference.

Submission Process

• Authors must register an account on the journal's website, complete the required forms, and upload their manuscript via the online system: https://journal.su.edu.ly/index.php/susj/issue/view/198
• If technical issues prevent online submission, authors may email the manuscript as a Word 2010 (.docx) file and a separate PDF to the journal's email address: susj@su.edu.ly

Manuscript Formatting Requirements

• Title Page:

  The first page must list the full title, followed immediately by the authors' details: Full Name, Academic Degree, Specific Specialization, Institutional Affiliation, and Email Address. Use Times New Roman, 11 pt, Bold Italic.

• Abstract & Keywords:

  The manuscript must include an abstract and five keywords in both Arabic and English, placed at the beginning. The English abstract must not be machine-translated. Each abstract must not exceed 250 words.

• Length:

  The manuscript must be formatted on A4 paper, with a length of no less than 10 pages and no more than 30 pages, inclusive of all figures, tables, and images.

• Text Formatting:
  • Main Text: Times New Roman, 10 pt, single line spacing (1.0).
  • Main Title: Centered, Times New Roman, 20 pt, Bold.
  • Subheadings: Times New Roman, 12 pt, Bold.
  • Abstract & Footnotes: Times New Roman, 9 pt.
• Page Margins:
  • Top & Bottom: 2.5 cm
  • Right: 3 cm
  • Left: 2.5 cm
• Figures, Illustrations, and Tables:
  • All figures, graphics, and tables must be integrated into the text, numbered sequentially, and include a descriptive caption and source (if applicable) below.
  • Tables should be numbered consecutively (above the table) using Times New Roman font, according to their appearance in the text, and provided with clear titles.
• Equations and Images:
  • Equations must be numbered sequentially as they appear in the text.
  • Photographic images must be clear, high-quality scans, numbered, and include a clear caption below.

Citations and References

• In-text citations must follow the (Author, Year) format. For direct quotes, include the page number (Author, Year, p. X).
• Reference List:

  All cited sources must be listed in a "References" section at the end of the manuscript, before any appendices.

  • The list must be alphabetized, with Arabic sources first, followed by non-Arabic sources, and without numbering.
  • Formatting examples:
  • Book: Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year). Book Title (Edition, if not 1st). Publisher.
  • Journal Article: Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year). "Article Title." Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages.
  • Thesis/Dissertation: Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year). Title. [Degree type, e.g., Master's thesis]. University Name.
  • Online Source: Author's Last Name, Initial(s). (Year). Title. Site Name. URL (Accessed: Date)

II. Publication Procedures for the University of Sirte Scientific Journal (SUSJ)

Manuscripts must be submitted electronically through the online submission system at https://journal.su.edu.ly/index.php/susj/issue/view/198 or sent via email to susj@su.edu.ly.

• Authors are required to complete the journal's publication application form and a publishing agreement. This agreement confirms that the submitted work is original, has not been plagiarized from any existing publication (book, thesis, etc.), and has not been previously published or submitted for publication elsewhere.
• The editorial office will register the manuscript in its official records. The author will then receive an acknowledgment of receipt from the Editor-in-Chief.
• All submissions undergo an initial editorial review to verify their compliance with the journal's scope and submission guidelines, determining their suitability for further processing.
• A plagiarism check is conducted to uphold academic integrity. Manuscripts with a similarity index exceeding 30% will be rejected.
• Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are sent for double-blind peer review to at least two independent experts in the relevant field. Reviewers assess the manuscript using a standard evaluation form, providing a recommendation (accept, revise, reject) and detailed feedback on both substantive and formal aspects. The identities of the authors and reviewers remain confidential throughout this process.
• Reviewers are typically given a two-week period to complete their assessment. Failure to meet this deadline may result in the review assignment being revoked.
• The editorial board receives and reviews the reviewers' reports and recommendations. All manuscripts and related reviewer comments are treated with strict confidentiality.
• If the reviewers' assessments significantly conflict, the manuscript will be referred to a third reviewer to make a final decision regarding its acceptability.
• The author is notified of the editorial decision. If revisions are required, the anonymized reviewer comments are forwarded to the author for action.
• The author is expected to address all points raised in the reviewers' reports and submit a revised version of the manuscript to the journal within two weeks of notification. Failure to resubmit within this period, barring exceptional circumstances approved by the Editor-in-Chief, will result in the manuscript being withdrawn from the publication process.
• If requested by the editorial board, the revised manuscript may be sent back to the original reviewer(s) to verify that all required revisions have been adequately addressed and to receive a final recommendation.
• A final decision to publish is made by the editorial board based on the reviewers' positive recommendations and confirmation that all necessary revisions have been completed.
• The editorial board reserves the right to make minor stylistic or formatting edits to the accepted manuscript to align it with the journal's publication standards, without altering the core academic content.
• The author is formally notified of the final acceptance or rejection of their manuscript for publication.
• Upon acceptance, the author receives a formal confirmation letter specifying the issue, volume, and number in which the manuscript will appear.
• If an author wishes to withdraw a submitted manuscript, they must formally request this using the manuscript withdrawal form. The withdrawal will only be processed after the author has provided a justified reason via the official form sent to their email.
• Following the formal acceptance notification, the copyright of the manuscript is transferred to the journal. The author may not republish the accepted work in another journal, conference proceedings, or in any other form.
• The published manuscript becomes the property of the journal. Therefore, the author is prohibited from republishing the work, in any format or language, elsewhere.
• A single author may not have more than one manuscript published in any given issue of the journal.

Open Access Policy

The University of Sirte Scientific Journal (SUSJ) is committed to publishing high-quality academic research while ensuring efficient evaluation and dissemination to support the broad sharing of scientific knowledge.

• SUSJ is an Open Access journal. All published research articles are made immediately and permanently available online for all readers to read and download free of charge.
• The journal operates under a clear publishing model. Authors are only required to pay an Article Processing Charge (APC) after their manuscript has been accepted for publication. This fee covers administrative, peer-review, and production costs. Crucially, access to the published work remains completely free for all readers, ensuring the free flow of knowledge, supporting scientific inquiry, and enabling researchers worldwide to benefit from the published studies without financial barriers or subscription requirements.
• This policy reinforces the principle of equitable access to knowledge and strengthens the journal's role as an open scientific platform that disseminates high-quality research locally and internationally.

III. Peer Review Policy

SUSJ employs a Double-blind Peer Review system. In this process, the identities of both the authors and the reviewers are concealed from each other to ensure maximum impartiality and objectivity.

• Manuscripts that meet the initial submission criteria are sent to at least two expert reviewers in the relevant field, selected based on their academic qualifications and expertise. Reviewers evaluate the manuscript against specific criteria, including: originality, methodological soundness, clarity of presentation, validity of analysis, contribution to the field, and adherence to academic ethics.
• The final publication decision is based on the peer review outcomes and can be one of the following: Accept without changes, Accept after minor revisions, Accept after major revisions (which may require re-review), or Reject, with clear and justified reasons provided.
• The journal is committed to:
• Maintaining the confidentiality of all information exchanged during the review process.
• Respecting authors' right to respond to reviewers' comments.
• Basing publication decisions solely on scientific merit, free from personal or institutional bias.
• Handling all manuscripts with integrity and fairness, and avoiding any potential conflicts of interest.

IV. Copyright Policy

SUSJ respects intellectual property rights and aims to protect the original work of its authors. The journal's policies strictly prohibit manuscripts containing plagiarized material or that fail to meet standards of quality, research, and originality. Authors submitting to SUSJ must adhere to ethical standards and refrain from plagiarism in any form. Should any form of plagiarism be identified in a submitted manuscript, the journal will contact the corresponding author to request an explanation within a two-week period. Subsequently, the case may be referred to relevant institutional committees, and stringent measures will be taken in accordance with the findings.

V. Self-Archiving Policy

This policy outlines the ways in which authors in SUSJ can archive copies of their work on their personal websites, their institution's repositories, or in subject-specific repositories.

• As an Open Access journal, articles in SUSJ are published immediately under an open access license. The journal encourages authors to share the final published version (Version of Record) rather than the accepted manuscript.
• Authors are permitted to reuse the article's metadata—such as the title, author list, and publication date—on any platform, including social media (e.g., Facebook, blogs, Twitter), provided they link back to the article's final version on the official SUSJ website and include the Digital Object Identifier (DOI).
• Authors may also self-archive the accepted manuscript (post-peer review, but before publisher formatting) on personal websites, institutional websites, or in institutional/subject repositories. SUSJ does not enforce an embargo period for this type of self-archiving.

VI. Plagiarism and Retraction Policy

To uphold the highest standards of academic integrity, all manuscripts submitted to the journal must adhere to ethical guidelines and avoid plagiarism and academic theft in any form. Accordingly, all submissions undergo an initial screening using plagiarism detection software. The editorial board then conducts a preliminary assessment to determine the manuscript's suitability and readiness for the peer review process, ensuring it complies with the journal's publication policies.

If plagiarism is identified in a submitted manuscript prior to publication, the editorial board will contact the corresponding author to request an explanation. Should the board find the author's justification unsatisfactory, the following stringent measures will be taken:

1. The manuscript will be immediately rejected.
2. The author will be barred from submitting any future manuscripts to the journal (blacklisting).
3. A formal notice will be issued on the journal's website and sent to the author's affiliated institution.

If plagiarism is discovered in a manuscript after it has been published, the following actions will be taken:

1. The article will be immediately retracted, with a "RETRACTED" watermark placed on the PDF, and it will be removed from the journal's website. A retraction notice will be published in the next issue.
2. The author will be barred from any future submissions to the journal (blacklisting).
3. A formal letter will be sent to the author's host institution, informing them of the misconduct and recommending further legal and institutional action.

VII. Conflict of Interest Policy

The University of Sirte Scientific Journal (SUSJ) is committed to preventing any conflicts of interest between its editors, staff, and authors, whether arising from personal or institutional relationships. All editorial board members and staff are required to act with integrity, prohibiting them from using their positions for personal gain or from leveraging unpublished research for their own benefit.

• Direct communication between editors/staff and authors regarding submissions is strictly prohibited; all correspondence must be channeled through the central editorial administration. The journal employs a double-blind peer review process: manuscripts are sent to reviewers without revealing author identities, and reviewer comments are shared with authors without disclosing reviewer identities. All parties involved are bound by strict confidentiality and are expressly forbidden from accepting gifts or favors from authors.

Data Sharing Policy

SUSJ requires all authors to make the data supporting their published findings fully available. Authors are also expected to ensure the confidentiality of participant identities in both qualitative and quantitative data before sharing it with editors or the public.

Research methodology is a critical component of the editorial and peer-review process. The journal's data sharing policy aligns with the recommendations of the 2011 AERA Council and its Code of Conduct.

Publication and Research Ethics

The journal adheres to the standards set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Editorial Board Responsibilities

• Verify the originality of submitted manuscripts and ensure they comply with the journal's permissible thresholds for similarity, prior to assigning them to qualified peer reviewers.
• Ensure a geographically diverse pool of reviewers, both from within and outside the university, avoiding exclusive selection from a single institution.
• Exercise their duties with integrity, objectivity, and impartiality, and must not discriminate against authors based on any unlawful considerations.
• Provide authors with a reasonable opportunity to address the comments and revisions suggested by the reviewers.
• The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for formally notifying the corresponding author of the manuscript's acceptance and the specific issue in which it will be published.
• The journal is ethically committed to respecting author privacy and maintaining academic confidentiality by not disclosing any personal information of the authors or co-authors to any third party.
• The journal is committed to providing a clear and final decision based on the reviewers' recommendations, which will be one of the following:
• Accept the manuscript for publication without revisions.
• Accept the manuscript for publication after minor revisions.
• Accept the manuscript for publication after major revisions, which require re-submission to the original reviewers for verification.
• Reject the manuscript and decline publication.

Journal Rights

• The editorial board reserves the right to conduct an initial assessment of any submission and decide whether it proceeds to peer review.
• A manuscript will be considered withdrawn if the author fails to implement the required revisions within one month of receiving the journal's feedback, unless a valid excuse, as determined by the editorial board, is provided.
• The journal is not obligated to provide reasons for rejecting a manuscript.
• Accepted manuscripts are prioritized for publication based on their acceptance date. However, the final order of articles within an issue is determined by layout design.
• Upon acceptance, the copyright of the manuscript is transferred from the author to the journal. All publishing rights are then reserved for the publisher (University of Sirte).
• The editorial board reserves the right to edit the manuscript regarding citation style, language, and the design of tables, figures, and text as necessary.

Reviewer Responsibilities

Peer review is a cornerstone of scientific publishing. The University of Sirte Academic Journal is committed to ensuring the professionalism and ethical standards of its reviewers. Therefore, reviewers must:

• Adhere to the standards of the International Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for reviewers.
• Respond to the initial review invitation within three days and complete the review within two weeks of accepting the invitation.
• Refrain from using any information from the manuscript for personal advantage.
• Decline to review manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists due to competitive or other relationships with the author.
• Verify the manuscript's originality and check for plagiarism. If plagiarism is suspected, the reviewer must identify the specific passages and provide evidence.
• Maintain strict confidentiality, treating the manuscript as a private document and not disclosing or discussing it with others without the editor's permission.
• Ensure objectivity in their judgments and conclusions.
• Express their opinions with integrity and clarity, supported by reasoned arguments.
• Adhere to the agreed-upon timeline for the review process.
• Decline to review manuscripts that fall outside their area of expertise or where they lack sufficient experience.
• Provide detailed, constructive feedback using the journal's official review form.

Author Responsibilities

• Authors are required to uphold the principles and standards of research and publication ethics.
• Submit original work accompanied by a complete list of references.
• Prepare their manuscript in accordance with the journal's guidelines.
• Follow the journal's rules on citation, referencing, and publication ethics.
• Not submit work that has been previously published in other journals, unless significant modifications have been made to the content or title.
• Avoid simultaneous submission to multiple journals, as this violates international publication ethics.
• Only submit their work to another journal after receiving an official rejection notice or formal approval for withdrawal from this journal.
• Confirm that all contributing co-authors have approved the final version of the manuscript before submission.
• Acknowledge all contributors appropriately and list authors in the correct order based on their scientific contribution.
• Express gratitude to individuals who assisted in the research but are not listed as authors.
• Disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the evaluation of their work to the editorial board.
• Refrain from unethical behavior, such as simultaneous submissions. If an author wishes to submit elsewhere, they must first formally withdraw the manuscript from this journal.
• Ensure the originality of their work and its adherence to professional research ethics, especially concerning human and animal rights if applicable.
• Avoid all forms of misconduct, including plagiarism and data fabrication.
• Promptly notify the editorial board of any significant errors in their published work to facilitate a correction or retraction.
• Revise their manuscript based on reviewer feedback. If authors disagree with certain suggestions, they must provide a logical justification. Failure to provide convincing reasons may result in the journal rejecting the manuscript.

Reviewer Recruitment and Selection Policy

The journal recruits and selects reviewers with the utmost care to ensure a pool of experts and specialists relevant to the submitted research. The editorial board seeks to collaborate with reviewers who possess the following qualifications:

• Objectivity, integrity, and honesty.
• Expertise in their specific scientific field, with substantial experience and research competence.
• Proven experience in reviewing for peer-reviewed journals.
• The ability to provide precise, scientifically grounded comments, opinions, and critiques.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the standards, controls, and policies of scientific peer review.

Journal Policies and Publication Guidelines