Terms of Service

Website information and inquiries

Website descriptions explain areas of support that can be considered. They are not a quotation, a confirmed offer of capacity or a promise that a particular assignment can be accepted.

Submitting an inquiry requests a discussion about suitability and scope. It does not book an appointment or create a service agreement. Any meeting, diagnostic activity or paid scoping work requires separate agreement.

General guides and illustrative examples support preparation and understanding. Apply them with appropriate regard to the actual research, institution, discipline and requirements. A checklist or example is not a certification that a study, laboratory or application is complete or suitable for a particular purpose.

Agreeing an engagement

The accepted written scope identifies the parties, objective, included work, deliverables, client inputs, timing assumptions, fees and review arrangements. Acceptance follows the process specified in the proposal and any relevant institutional procurement arrangements.

Work begins after the required agreement and prerequisites are in place. A material change to the research question, source material, participating units or deliverables may require an updated scope.

Specific contractual terms govern the engagement where they validly address the same matter. Nothing in these website terms removes mandatory legal rights that apply to the parties or the service.

Client responsibilities

The client supplies accurate information and obtains the rights, permissions and institutional approvals needed for the agreed work. Project materials are provided through the agreed route and within the permitted scope.

The client identifies an authorised contact for instructions, decisions and consolidated feedback. Delays or changes in necessary inputs may affect timing and the work that can be completed; material consequences are addressed through the agreed review or change process.

Researchers and authors retain responsibility for scholarly decisions, the accuracy of the final work and applicable institutional, funder and journal requirements. They review the supplied work before using it in a submission, application or institutional decision.

Fees and external costs

The accepted proposal or agreement establishes fees, currency, taxes, payment schedule and invoicing arrangements. A service description is not a fixed-price quotation unless it expressly states that it is one.

Journal charges, software, database access, travel, testing, calibration, equipment, accreditation and other third-party costs are separate unless the agreement states that they are included.

Cancellation, postponement, refund and termination arrangements are governed by the accepted agreement and any mandatory rights. Contact the agreed project representative if circumstances change. A request for information or a quotation does not authorise additional paid work.

Deliverables, review and changes

The scope defines the deliverables and the basis for assessing completion. The agreed review arrangements distinguish correction or clarification of an included output from a request for additional work.

New data, a different question, a substantial manuscript rewrite or additional institutional units may require a change agreement. The parties resolve its effect on outputs, responsibilities, timing and fees before the additional work is undertaken.

The handover identifies material limitations and actions or approvals that remain with the client or another party. Receipt of a deliverable does not imply that an external journal, funder or assessment body has approved it.

Research integrity

The research integrity principles explain expectations for genuine contributions, accurate evidence and transparent support. Services do not include fabricated evidence, purchased authorship, manipulated peer review or undisclosed completion of assessed work.

A concern about evidence, permission or integrity may require clarification or suspension of affected work under the agreed contractual process. Formal institutional, editorial or regulatory decisions remain with the appropriate parties. The parties address correction of an identified problem through the process applicable to the work.

Confidentiality and intellectual property

Project terms govern permitted use of supplied material, authorised access and confidentiality obligations. Read the confidentiality guidance before transferring detailed information.

Ownership and permitted reuse of existing material, project outputs, templates, code and third-party content are governed by the applicable agreement and rights. Commissioning work does not automatically transfer rights that a party does not own or cannot grant. Any required licences or permissions remain relevant to later use of the deliverable.

Use of client names, logos, unpublished findings or project results in publicity requires appropriate permission. Agreement to perform a service is not permission to publish a case study or disclose restricted research.

Third-party decisions and services

Journal acceptance, funding awards, indexing, citation counts, rankings and accreditation depend on independent parties or wider conditions. Consulting cannot guarantee those outcomes.

External laboratories, suppliers and specialists are responsible for work and commitments in their own agreed scope. Any coordination, referral or purchasing role is defined explicitly, including relevant commercial relationships. The appointment of an external provider does not expand an agreed consulting scope by itself.

The client and its authorised advisers retain decisions requiring institutional, legal, procurement or technical authority.

Questions, liability and disputes

Liability and dispute arrangements are governed by the applicable agreement and law. Nothing in these terms excludes a right or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

For a project question, contact the agreed representative and identify the affected work, relevant facts and action requested. Keeping a written record can help clarify the matter. This contact route does not restrict any mandatory complaint or legal remedy available to a party.

Changes and contact

Changes to website terms do not, by themselves, amend the terms already agreed for an existing engagement. A project amendment follows the change process applicable to that agreement.

For an inquiry about a proposed project or these terms, use the contact page.