Conflict of Interest

Policy Statement SONDE (Sound of Dentistry) is committed to upholding high standards of publication ethics and academic integrity. Following the guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), all parties involved in the publication process—authors, editors, and reviewers—must disclose any relevant conflicts of interest that could affect the objectivity and integrity of the research.

Definition A conflict of interest occurs when personal, professional, or financial interests could be perceived as influencing judgment regarding a manuscript or publication. While having a conflict does not automatically imply unethical behavior, failure to disclose it compromises publishing credibility.

Authors Authors must disclose all potential conflicts of interest upon submission, including research funding, consultancy, financial interests, or personal relationships that might influence their work. A Conflict of Interest statement must be included in the manuscript, even if no conflicts exist. Failure to disclose may lead to editorial action.

Editors Editors must evaluate manuscripts objectively, maintaining impartiality and avoiding personal or external influences. An editor must recuse themselves from handling any manuscript involving a conflict of interest or relationship that could compromise unbiased decision-making.

Peer Reviewers Reviewers must provide fair and objective assessments. They must decline to review any manuscript if they have conflicts of interest, such as recent collaborations, personal ties, or direct competition with the authors. Reviewers must also treat all manuscript details as strictly confidential.

Disclosure and Compliance The editorial team reviews all declared conflicts. Non-disclosure may result in manuscript rejection or withdrawal. SONDE follows COPE principles to ensure full transparency and accountability in ethical scholarly publishing.