Terms of Service

Last Updated: October 5, 2025

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using the Metascience Platform ("Service", "Platform", "we", "us", or "our"), you accept and agree to be bound by the terms and provisions of this agreement. If you do not agree to these Terms of Service, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

The Metascience Platform is a research tool that provides:

  • Citation network visualization and analysis
  • Academic paper search and discovery
  • Research literature review assistance
  • Integration with academic databases (Semantic Scholar, OpenAlex, OpenCitations)

The Service is provided free of charge and is intended for academic and research purposes.

3. User Accounts

3.1 Registration

To access certain features, you must create an account by providing a valid email address and password. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

3.2 Account Security

You agree to:

  • Provide accurate and complete registration information
  • Maintain the security of your password and account
  • Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
  • Be responsible for all activities that occur under your account

3.3 Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time for violations of these Terms of Service or for any other reason at our sole discretion.

4. Acceptable Use

4.1 Permitted Use

You may use the Service for legitimate academic research, literature review, and educational purposes.

4.2 Prohibited Activities

You agree NOT to:

  • Use the Service for any illegal purpose or in violation of any local, state, national, or international law
  • Violate or infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or its related systems
  • Engage in any activity that could damage, disable, or impair the Service
  • Use automated scripts, bots, or scrapers to extract data in violation of API rate limits
  • Misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person or organization
  • Upload or transmit viruses, malware, or any other malicious code
  • Harass, abuse, or harm other users of the Service

5. Intellectual Property

5.1 Service Content

The Service interface, design, and original content are owned by Metascience Platform and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

5.2 Third-Party Content

Academic papers, citation data, and metadata are sourced from third-party databases including:

  • Semantic Scholar: Provided by Allen Institute for AI
  • OpenAlex: Open scholarly metadata database
  • OpenCitations: Open citation data service

This content remains the property of the respective rights holders and databases. You must comply with their respective terms of service and licensing agreements.

5.3 User Feedback

Any feedback, comments, or suggestions you provide about the Service may be used by us without any obligation to you.

6. Third-Party Services

The Service integrates with third-party academic databases and services. We are not responsible for:

  • The availability, accuracy, or completeness of third-party data
  • Changes to third-party APIs or services
  • The terms of service or privacy policies of third-party providers

Your use of third-party content is subject to their respective terms and conditions.

7. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

7.1 Service "As Is"

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

7.2 Data Accuracy

We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any citation data, paper metadata, or analysis results. Users should independently verify critical information.

7.3 Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL METASCIENCE PLATFORM BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM:

  • Your access to or use of (or inability to access or use) the Service
  • Any conduct or content of any third party on the Service
  • Unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your content
  • Any interruption or cessation of the Service

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Metascience Platform, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including legal fees, arising out of or in any way connected with:

  • Your access to or use of the Service
  • Your violation of these Terms of Service
  • Your violation of any third-party rights

9. Data Retention and Deletion

We retain your account information and feedback data for as long as your account is active. You may request account deletion at any time by contacting us. Upon deletion:

  • Your account will be permanently deleted
  • Your personal information will be removed from our systems
  • Anonymized feedback data may be retained for analytical purposes

10. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time. We will notify users of any material changes by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

11. Service Availability

We strive to maintain the Service's availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. The Service may be unavailable due to:

  • Scheduled maintenance
  • Emergency repairs
  • Third-party service outages
  • Force majeure events

12. Governing Law

These Terms of Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable international laws regarding online services, without regard to conflict of law provisions.

13. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

14. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us through the feedback mechanism provided in the application.

15. Acknowledgments

This service is inspired by the Local Citation Network project by Tim Woelfle. We acknowledge and appreciate the academic databases that make this service possible:

  • Semantic Scholar by Allen Institute for AI
  • OpenAlex
  • OpenCitations