Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of terms

By accessing or using ScAuthor ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service. We may update these terms from time to time, with notice provided via email or the platform.

2. Description of service

ScAuthor is an online platform for researchers to manage paper projects, track publication progress, discover collaboration opportunities, and coordinate contributions on specific research stages. Features include a publication tracker, paper workspace, Discover listings, journal finder, funding radar, authorship tools, and messaging. We offer a free tier and paid plans (currently Plus) with additional capacity and features.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years old to use ScAuthor. By creating an account, you confirm that you meet this requirement and have the legal capacity to enter into these terms. You are responsible for complying with your institution's policies.

4. Account responsibilities

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.
• You agree to provide accurate and truthful information in your profile and listings.
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• You must notify us promptly at support@scauthor.com of any unauthorised use.
• Linking ORCID is for verification and profile display; it does not transfer ownership of your ORCID record to ScAuthor.

5. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Post false, misleading, or fraudulent information;
• Harass, threaten, or harm other users;
• Use the platform for spam, unsolicited advertising, or unrelated commercial solicitation;
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to our systems or other users' accounts;
• Scrape, copy, or redistribute content from the platform without permission;
• Violate applicable laws, research ethics, or confidentiality obligations.

6. Content and collaborations

You retain ownership of content you post. By posting content, you grant ScAuthor a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, display, and process that content solely to operate the Service.

ScAuthor facilitates introductions and workflow tools; we are not a party to agreements between researchers. Authorship and compensation terms on listings reflect the poster's intention unless separately agreed between parties.

We may remove content that violates these terms or applicable law.

7. Paid subscriptions

Paid plans (currently Plus) are billed monthly in USD unless otherwise stated on our pricing page. Plus includes a 30-day free trial for new subscriptions. A payment method is collected at checkout, but you will not be charged until the trial ends. You may cancel at any time; if you cancel during the trial you pay nothing. After the trial, cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period.

Free-tier limits (such as papers in tracker or monthly applications) may apply as described on the pricing page. We will provide reasonable notice before enforcing new limits on existing free users.

8. Tracker and third-party data

Tracker milestones, journal logs, grant radar, and journal finder data are provided for convenience only and do not constitute legal, financial, or publishing advice. Third-party data (including Scopus or grant catalog entries) may be incomplete or outdated — always confirm with primary sources.

9. Termination

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms. You may stop using ScAuthor at any time. Upon account deletion, personal data is removed from active systems within 30 days, subject to legal and backup retention requirements.

10. Disclaimer of warranties

ScAuthor is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service, suitable collaborators, or publication outcomes. We are not responsible for the accuracy of user-generated content.

11. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, ScAuthor shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the platform, including lost revenue, lost data, or disputes between users. Our total liability for any claim relating to the Service is limited to the amount you paid us in the twelve months before the claim (or USD $25 if you use the free tier).

12. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Malaysia. Courts in Malaysia shall have jurisdiction, except where mandatory consumer protection laws in your country require otherwise.

13. Contact

For questions about these Terms of Service, contact us at: support@scauthor.com
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