Evidence standards and editorial policy
How the science content on SonicSenses is sourced, graded, reviewed and corrected - and the claims we refuse to make.
Last reviewed: August 6, 2026
How we grade evidence
Not all research carries the same weight. Every claim on the site is anchored to one of these tiers, and the tier shapes how strongly the claim is stated.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Cochrane reviews and peer-reviewed meta-analyses pooling multiple randomised trials.
How we use it: Stated as the strongest available support. Effect sizes and the review's own caveats are reported alongside the claim.
Randomised controlled trials
Individual RCTs published in peer-reviewed journals.
How we use it: Described with sample size and setting. Single trials are never presented as settled science.
Observational and mechanistic studies
EEG, fMRI, cohort and laboratory work that explains a mechanism.
How we use it: Used to describe how something may work, never to claim an outcome for a reader.
Expert consensus and guidance
Statements from bodies such as the World Health Organization or professional therapy associations.
How we use it: Used for safety guidance and definitions, attributed to the issuing body.
Marketing claims and anecdote
Vendor claims, testimonials, unsourced frequency charts and wellness folklore.
How we use it: Excluded. Where a popular claim is widespread, we say plainly what the evidence does and does not support.
Editorial rules
Every substantive claim carries a source
Science articles name the authors, publication and year in the text so a reader can find the paper without following a link. Reference lists appear at the end of each article.
We report uncertainty, not just findings
Where evidence is small, mixed or preliminary, the article says so in the same sentence as the finding. Headlines never overstate what a study showed.
No medical claims, ever
SonicSenses is a general wellness and creative sound platform. Nothing on this site diagnoses, prevents, treats or cures any medical or psychological condition, and no page suggests replacing clinical care.
Clinical disciplines are named accurately
Board-certified music therapy is a credentialed clinical practice delivered by trained therapists. We never describe consumer audio, including ours, as music therapy.
Safety guidance is conservative
Volume, duration and contraindication guidance follows published public-health recommendations, and advises consulting a clinician where risk factors exist.
AI-generated audio is labelled as such
Audio created through the Studio is machine-generated from your prompt. We do not present generated tracks as clinical interventions or as recordings of real performers.
Our review process
- Step 1
Draft
An article is outlined around a reader question, then written from the primary literature rather than from secondary summaries.
- Step 2
Source check
Each claim is matched to a specific study or guidance document, and claims without a source are cut.
- Step 3
Plain-language pass
Technical findings are rewritten for a general reader without changing what the study concluded.
- Step 4
Safety pass
Contraindications, volume guidance and non-medical framing are confirmed on every page that touches health topics.
- Step 5
Scheduled review
Science pages are reviewed at least annually, and sooner when a major review or guideline changes the picture.
Corrections policy
If a page misstates a study, omits an important caveat or cites work that has since been retracted, we want to know. Send the page URL and the citation through the contact page and we will correct the text and update its review date.
Frequently asked
- Who writes the science content on SonicSenses?
- Content is written and maintained by the SonicSenses editorial team from the published literature. It is educational reporting on research, not clinical advice from a treating practitioner.
- How often is the content reviewed?
- Science pages carry a review date and are revisited at least once a year, or immediately when a significant new systematic review or public-health guideline is published.
- How do you handle corrections?
- If a page misstates a study, email the correction with the citation and we will amend the page and update its review date. Substantive corrections are reflected in the text rather than removed silently.
- Do you have commercial relationships that affect the content?
- Music generation runs on a third-party audio model provider, and that relationship is disclosed on the site. No study, finding or recommendation on this site is sponsored, and no vendor reviews the science content before publication.
- Can I cite SonicSenses in my own work?
- Cite the underlying studies we name rather than this site. Our pages are a plain-language entry point to that literature, not a primary source.