ScAuthor is not a manuscript repository. We do not want your full PDFs, raw datasets, or lab notebooks on our servers. What we store is what collaboration requires: who you are, a brief description of projects you post, and messages between matched researchers.
Your public profile carries identity and expertise signals — name, institution, field, ORCID, short bio, avatar if you choose. That is enough for an owner to judge fit without exposing contact details until there is a match.
Paper listings use a brief title and abstract (teaser), not the complete manuscript. Working documents can stay in Google Docs, Overleaf, or your institution’s storage; link externally when you are ready to share after acceptance.
Messages on ScAuthor are for coordination — timelines, role confirmation, submission updates — not for shipping multi-gigabyte files. If your workflow needs heavy file exchange, use tools built for that after trust is established.
This minimisation is deliberate: less sensitive data on our platform means less risk for you and simpler obligations under privacy laws worldwide. Fill your profile honestly, keep listings concise, and treat ScAuthor as the coordination layer — not the archive.