Second Half of 2025 Report

Faculty of Arts Journal – Misurata University

Editorial metrics

Second half of 2025 report

(Issue 20 –December 2025)

Originally published in January 2026; updated in August 2026.

In line with its commitment to academic transparency, editorial quality, and continuous improvement, the Faculty of Arts Journal publishes a semiannual report highlighting key indicators of manuscript submissions, editorial decisions, peer review, and publication statistics.

1. Manuscript status overview

Table 1. Submission and editorial processing statistics

Indicator	Number	Percentage
Total manuscripts received during the reporting period	78	81%
Manuscripts accepted and published	27	42%*
Manuscripts rejected	37	58%*
— Rejected at the initial screening (without peer review)	34	—
— Rejected after peer review	3	10% of manuscripts sent for peer review
Manuscripts under processing at the end of the reporting period	14	—
Average number of days to first editorial decision	13 days	—
Average number of days to acceptance and publication	43 days	—
Average number of days to rejection	30 days	—

* The acceptance and rejection percentages are calculated from the 64 manuscripts for which an editorial decision was reached during the reporting period and therefore exclude manuscripts that remained under processing at the end of the period.

Key observations

The figures reflect a substantial level of editorial activity during the reporting period, with 78 manuscripts received and 14 manuscripts remaining under processing at the end of the period. Among the manuscripts for which a decision was reached, 27 were accepted and published, while 37 were rejected.

A particularly notable feature is the role of the journal’s initial editorial screening. Of the 37 rejected manuscripts, 34 were rejected before peer review, compared with only 3 rejected after peer review. This distribution indicates that rigorous initial screening plays an important role in identifying manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s academic, methodological, or editorial requirements before they are referred to external reviewers. This selective screening process is likely, at least in part, to explain the relatively low proportion of rejections after peer review.

2. Interpretation of editorial processing time

The processing-time indicators point to a relatively efficient editorial workflow. The average time to the first editorial decision was 13 days, while the average time to rejection was 30 days.

The average time from submission to acceptance and publication was 43 days, indicating that manuscripts that ultimately meet the journal’s requirements generally progress through evaluation, review, revision, and publication within a relatively short overall period.

The difference between the average time to rejection and the average time to acceptance and publication is consistent with the nature of the two outcomes. Rejection can often be reached at an early stage, particularly through initial screening, whereas acceptance normally requires completion of peer review, revision, editorial assessment, and publication procedures.

These processing-time indicators are consistent with the journal’s policy of initial screening before peer review, which facilitates early decisions on manuscripts that do not meet the required standards and allows peer-review resources to be focused on manuscripts that have passed the journal’s basic academic and editorial requirements.

 

3. Publication statistics

Table 2. Institutional and geographical diversity of authors

Indicator	Number	Percentage
Total research articles published	27	—
Articles from outside Misurata University	8	29.63%
Articles from outside Libya	1	3.70%
Number of authors	34	—
Number of authors’ affiliated institutions	7	—
Authors from outside Misurata University	10	29.41%
Authors from outside Libya	1	2.94%

Key observations

The publication data indicate that approximately 30% of the published articles (29.63%) came from outside Misurata University, demonstrating a meaningful level of external scholarly contribution and indicating that the journal’s published content is not limited to research produced within the university.

The authors of the published articles were affiliated with 7 different institutions, while 10 authors were from outside Misurata University. This reflects a degree of institutional diversity among the journal’s contributors.

International participation during the period was represented by one article and one author from outside Libya. While this represents an initial level of international participation, the figures also indicate potential for the journal to further expand its international reach and attract more contributions from researchers outside Libya in future reporting periods.

4. Peer review policy

The Faculty of Arts Journal operates a double-anonymous peer review system. Initial editorial screening is conducted before peer review to assess whether manuscripts meet the journal’s basic academic, methodological, and editorial requirements.

The data for issue 20 highlight the role of this initial screening stage, with the majority of rejected manuscripts being rejected before peer review. This reflects the function of initial screening as an important part of the journal’s editorial quality-control process.

Additional rounds of peer review may be conducted when substantial revisions are required. Editorial decisions are based on reviewers’ assessments, the quality of the revised manuscript, and the journal’s academic and editorial standards.

 

5. Editorial transparency

The publication of these metrics reflects the journal’s commitment to transparency and accountability by providing clear information about its editorial activity, the characteristics of its published research, and manuscript processing performance.

This report is an updated version of the report originally published in January 2026. It was updated in August 2026 to add and complete selected indicators relating to publication statistics and the institutional and geographical diversity of authors.

The journal will continue to monitor these indicators and publish its editorial metrics on a semiannual basis, allowing its editorial performance to be followed and compared across reporting periods.