01Introduction
Purpose. This Terms of Service Agreement governs the use of Explore Science, an academic analysis service providing automated document analysis. By using Explore Science, you agree to these Terms and the Privacy Policy.
GDPR Compliance Statement. Explore Science Pty Ltd ("we", "our", "us") is the data controller for all personal data processed through Explore Science. We apply the principles of data minimisation and privacy by design, and we have implemented technical and organisational measures that satisfy Articles 5, 24, 25 and 32 of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR").
02Service Description
Functionality. Explore Science is a research platform that provides automated analysis and review of academic documents, an AI research assistant, tools for collaborating with co-authors and teams, and related features that surface relevant literature, funding, and publishing opportunities. Available features may change as the Service develops.
Accessibility. Users gain access through account registration, subject to ongoing compliance with these Terms.
03User Account
Account Creation. Users must register with accurate information to access Explore Science. You are responsible for all account activity and must comply with applicable laws. Users shall not hack, copy, distribute, or modify the service. Violations may result in termination.
Account Suspension & Termination. Explore Science Pty Ltd reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts at any time, within our sole discretion. Termination may be immediate. Any refund entitlement upon termination is governed by Section 4.
04Fees, Subscriptions and Payments
Subscriptions & Renewals. If you purchase a recurring subscription, it will automatically renew at the end of each billing cycle unless cancelled. You authorize us to charge the applicable fees to your payment method. You may cancel at any time through your dashboard; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current period.
Pay-Per-Document. Users may access single-use analysis capabilities through pay-per-document pricing. Explore Science Pty Ltd reserves the right to modify pricing with notice on the platform.
Refunds & Credits. All fees are generally non-refundable. However, if we terminate your account without cause (including if the Service is discontinued), we will provide a pro-rata refund for any prepaid but unused services. If your account is terminated for cause (e.g., due to your breach of these Terms), you will not be entitled to any refund. Credits have no cash value.
05Intellectual Property Rights
Our IP. Explore Science, including its software, code, and interface, is owned by Explore Science Pty Ltd. You receive a limited, non-exclusive, revocable license to use the service.
Your Data & Output License. You retain all rights to the documents you upload ("Input"). We will not publish, distribute, or publicly disclose Input without your consent. We do not sublicense, sell, or transfer rights to Input to any third party.
Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a worldwide, non-exclusive, perpetual license to use, copy, and modify the analysis and reports generated by the Service ("Output") for your own personal or internal business purposes.
You are strictly prohibited from reselling, sub-licensing, or redistributing the Output as a standalone product or service, or acting as a reseller or middleman of our services, without a separate written agreement.
Outputs are private by default and accessible only to you unless you choose to share them.
User Warranties. By uploading documents, you represent and warrant that you have the necessary rights and permissions to do so. You agree not to upload content that violates third-party copyrights or privacy rights. Explore Science Pty Ltd expressly disclaims liability for any user-generated or user-uploaded content.
06Data Processing
6.1 Principle of data minimisation. We collect only the information strictly necessary to operate Explore Science: email address, name (optional nickname), authentication credentials, usage metrics, uploaded documents and the resulting AI review.
6.2 Lifecycle. Documents and reviews remain available in your workspace until you delete them. See our Privacy Policy §5 for retention details after account closure.
6.3 No model training. Neither we nor our third-party AI providers use your uploaded content to train or fine-tune any machine-learning models.
For further details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
07Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability
Warranty Disclaimer. Explore Science is provided "as is," without warranties of any kind, express or implied. Explore Science Pty Ltd does not warrant that the services will meet your requirements or that operation will be uninterrupted or error-free.
AI-generated output. Analysis, scores, reviews, novelty and integrity assessments, and other Output are produced by automated systems and large language models. They are a research and decision-support aid, may contain errors or omissions, and are not a substitute for independent professional, editorial, or peer judgment. Integrity and similarity signals are indicative rather than determinative. You are responsible for reviewing and verifying Output before relying on or acting on it.
Liability Limitation. To the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event shall Explore Science Pty Ltd be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages (including lost profits or data loss). Our total liability for any claim related to these Terms shall not exceed the amount paid by you (if any) in the 12 months preceding the claim.
08Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
Jurisdiction. This Agreement is governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia. You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland for any legal action.
Class Action Waiver. To the fullest extent permitted by law, disputes must be resolved on an individual basis. You agree not to participate in class actions, consolidated actions, or representative proceedings against Explore Science Pty Ltd.
Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be limited or severed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
09EU / EEA Data-Subject Rights & Contact
European users have the rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability and objection (Arts 15 to 21 GDPR). Requests should be sent to [email protected]; we respond within 30 days.
Article 27 Representative. Not required under GDPR Art. 27(2)(a) to (b) because our processing is occasional and not large-scale.
10Prohibited Uses
You may not use Explore Science to:
- Upload malicious content or malware;
- Violate any applicable laws or regulations;
- Infringe upon intellectual property rights;
- Harass, abuse, or harm others;
- Attempt to reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any portion of the Service;
- Access the Service to build a competitive product or service;
- "Scrape" or crawl any part of the Service or its outputs;
- Use the service for any illegal or unauthorized purpose.
11Age Restrictions
Explore Science is intended only for users 18 years of age or older. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18.
12Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Explore Science Pty Ltd, its officers, directors, and employees from any claims, liabilities, damages, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your violation of these Terms; or (c) any violation of third-party rights (including intellectual property rights) by the documents you upload.
13Modifications to Terms
We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Updated versions will be posted on this page with a new effective date. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms. You are advised to review this Agreement periodically for any changes.