PUBLICATION ETHICS

Art of Dentistry

Art of Dentistry follows principles of research integrity, transparency in scholarly publishing, and good publication practice. The Editorial Office follows publication-ethics principles and takes into account the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The purpose of this publication ethics policy is to ensure a fair, transparent, and responsible process for the preparation, review, and publication of scientific work.

This policy applies to authors, reviewers, editors, members of the Scientific Council, and other individuals involved in the publication process.

1. Responsibilities of the Editorial Office

The Editorial Office is responsible for ensuring a fair and independent editorial process.

The Editorial Office:

• makes publication decisions based on scientific value, originality, methodological quality, and relevance to the journal's scope;

• ensures the independence of the peer-review process;

• maintains the confidentiality of materials submitted for review;

• works to prevent research and publication misconduct;

• responds to substantiated complaints and concerns concerning submitted or published work;

• takes appropriate action when publication ethics concerns arise.

Editorial decisions must not be influenced by advertisers, sponsors, or other commercial interests.

2. Editorial Independence

Decisions concerning the acceptance, rejection, and publication of manuscripts are made independently of:

• commercial interests;

• advertising activities;

• financial interests;

• personal relationships;

• institutional or professional pressure.

Advertising and commercial activities must not influence editorial decisions concerning scientific content.

3. Responsibilities of Authors

Authors are responsible for:

• the accuracy and integrity of the data presented;

• the originality of the work;

• accurate presentation of methods and results;

• appropriate citation of sources;

• identifying all individuals who meet the criteria for authorship;

• disclosure of conflicts of interest;

• disclosure of funding sources;

• obtaining required ethical and other approvals, where applicable;

• notifying the Editorial Office of significant errors discovered after submission or publication.

Authors must not knowingly present fabricated, falsified, or misleading data.

4. Authorship and Contributions

Authorship should reflect genuine intellectual contributions to the work.

Individuals listed as authors should meet appropriate authorship criteria and be able to take responsibility for their contribution to the work.

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria may be acknowledged where appropriate.

The following practices are unacceptable:

• assigning authorship to individuals who did not contribute to the work;

• omitting individuals who meet authorship criteria;

• ghost authorship;

• gift or honorary authorship.

Changes to the author list after submission require justification and the agreement of all affected authors.

5. Originality and Simultaneous Submission

Authors may submit manuscripts to Art of Dentistry provided that the work has not previously been published in full and is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal.

Authors must inform the Editorial Office of previous publications or materials that substantially overlap with the submitted manuscript.

6. Plagiarism and Publication Misconduct

The journal does not accept:

• plagiarism;

• inappropriate duplication of previously published material;

• fabrication of data;

• falsification of data;

• manipulation of results;

• citation manipulation;

• unauthorised use of third-party material;

• inappropriate duplicate publication;

• other forms of research or publication misconduct.

Where publication ethics concerns arise, the Editorial Office may conduct an investigation and take action appropriate to the nature of the concern.

7. Research Involving Human Participants

For research involving human participants, authors must comply with applicable ethical requirements and obtain approval from the appropriate ethics committee or institution where required.

The manuscript should contain appropriate information concerning ethical approval.

Where informed consent is required, authors are responsible for obtaining it.

8. Personal Data and Privacy

Authors are responsible for protecting the privacy of research participants and handling personal data in accordance with applicable law.

Identifiable information should not be published without an appropriate legal basis and the required consent.

Clinical photographs, case descriptions, and other materials should be prepared in a manner that protects patient identity.

9. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, and members of the Editorial Office are required to disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest.

Conflicts of interest may arise from:

• financial relationships;

• employment;

• professional activities;

• personal relationships;

• academic competition;

• institutional relationships;

• other circumstances that may affect impartiality.

Where required by the submission procedure, the absence of conflicts of interest should also be declared.

10. Research Funding

Authors are required to disclose sources of research funding and, where applicable, the role of the funding organisation in:

• study design;

• data collection;

• data analysis;

• interpretation of results;

• preparation of the manuscript;

• the decision to publish.

11. Reviewers

Reviewers are required to:

• maintain confidentiality;

• provide an objective assessment;

• identify important methodological concerns;

• disclose conflicts of interest;

• refrain from sharing manuscript content with unauthorised persons;

• refrain from using unpublished information for personal purposes.

Reviewers should not use the peer-review process to promote their own academic or professional interests.

Detailed peer-review procedures are provided in the Peer Review Process section.

12. Manuscripts Authored by Editors or Members of the Scientific Council

When a member of the Editorial Office or Scientific Council is an author or co-author of a submitted manuscript, that person does not participate in the editorial decision concerning the manuscript.

The manuscript is subject to an independent peer-review process under the same standards that apply to other authors.

13. Use of Artificial Intelligence

Authors are responsible for the content of their manuscripts regardless of whether artificial intelligence tools were used during manuscript preparation.

Generative artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors.

Where the use of AI tools has materially contributed to the preparation of a manuscript, authors should disclose such use in accordance with the Instructions for Authors.

Authors remain responsible for:

• the accuracy of the information presented;

• the originality of the work;

• appropriate citation of sources;

• identifying and correcting errors or misleading content generated by AI tools.

14. Complaints and Concerns

Complaints concerning the publication process, peer review, or potential breaches of publication ethics should be submitted to the Editorial Office.

Complaints should contain a detailed description of the concern and, where possible, supporting documentation.

The Editorial Office handles such matters confidentially and takes action appropriate to the circumstances.

15. Handling Allegations of Misconduct

When research or publication misconduct is suspected, the Editorial Office may:

• request an explanation from the author;

• request additional documentation;

• contact the relevant institution or organisation with which the author is affiliated where justified;

• seek an independent opinion;

• suspend the publication process;

• reject the manuscript;

• publish a correction, clarification, or retraction where the concern relates to a published article.

The Editorial Office handles such cases according to principles of fairness, proportionality, confidentiality, and due process.

16. Corrections, Withdrawals, and Retractions

If a significant error is identified after publication, the Editorial Office may publish an appropriate correction or other clarification.

If an article contains serious errors or circumstances arise that justify withdrawal or retraction, the Editorial Office may initiate the appropriate procedure.

Corrections and retractions are linked to the original publication in a manner that enables readers to identify the change.

17. Responsibility for Published Content

Authors are responsible for the content of their work, the data presented, the interpretation of results, and compliance with research ethics.

Publication of an article does not mean that the Editorial Office or Publisher assumes responsibility for the authors' opinions, interpretations, or claims.

18. Transparency of the Publication Ethics Policy

This publication ethics policy should be read together with the Instructions for Authors, Publication Regulations, and Peer Review Process published on the Art of Dentistry website.

Standards and Good Publication Practice

Art of Dentistry follows principles of research integrity, transparency, and responsible scholarly publishing and takes into account the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and other relevant international publication-ethics standards.

Last updated: 2026