1. General
These Terms and Conditions govern all services offered by Researchers Pub, a Unit of ARDA Conference (“Researchers Pub”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) to clients including students, researchers, academicians, professionals, and institutions (“Client”, “you”).
By availing any service from Researchers Pub, the Client agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
2. Scope of Services
Researchers Pub provides academic support services including, but not limited to:
- Journal identification and suitability analysis
- Manuscript formatting and technical checks
- Submission coordination and publication assistance
- Communication support with journals and publishers
Researchers Pub acts solely as a facilitator/aggregator and does not function as a journal, publisher, or editorial board.
3. No Guarantee of Acceptance or Indexing
- Researchers Pub does not guarantee manuscript indexing (Scopus, Web of Science, etc.), impact factor, or citation outcomes.
- Editorial decisions, peer-review outcomes, timelines, acceptance, rejection, indexing status, and journal policies are entirely controlled by the respective journals and their editorial boards.
- Indexing agencies such as Scopus or Web of Science independently add or remove journals at their discretion, which is beyond our control.
4. Client Obligations
The Client agrees to:
- Provide accurate, complete, and original manuscript content
- Ensure authorship details, affiliations, and ethical declarations are correct
- Respond promptly to editorial or revision-related communications
- Comply with journal ethics, plagiarism, and authorship policies
Researchers Pub shall not be responsible for delays caused by incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading information provided by the Client.
5. Fees and Payments
- Service fees (including Article Processing Charges, if applicable) will be communicated prior to or during the engagement.
- Fees once paid are non-refundable, unless explicitly stated otherwise in writing.
- Any additional charges arising due to revisions, resubmissions, journal changes, or extended timelines shall be borne by the Client.
6. Timelines
- All timelines provided are estimated only.
- Delays caused by journals, peer reviewers, indexing bodies, or force majeure events shall not constitute a breach of service.
- Researchers Pub shall not be liable for delays beyond its reasonable control.
7. Confidentiality
- All manuscripts, personal data, and communications shared by the Client will be treated as confidential.
- Confidential information shall not be disclosed to third parties except where required for service delivery (e.g., journal submission) or as required by law.
8. Intellectual Property
- The Client retains full ownership of the manuscript and related intellectual property.
- Researchers Pub does not claim authorship or ownership over any submitted or published content.
- The Client is solely responsible for ensuring originality and avoiding copyright, ethical, or legal violations.
9. Limitation of Liability
- Researchers Pub’s liability, if any, shall be limited to the amount paid for the specific service.
- We shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or reputational damages.
- Researchers Pub is not responsible for editorial decisions, rejection, retraction, or post-publication actions taken by journals or indexing bodies.
10. Termination
- Either party may terminate the engagement by written notice.
- In case of termination by the Client, fees paid for completed services shall not be refundable.
- Researchers Pub reserves the right to terminate services if unethical practices, misrepresentation, or policy violations are identified.
11. Force Majeure
Researchers Pub shall not be liable for failure or delay in performance due to circumstances beyond reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, regulatory changes, technical failures, system outages, or journal-side disruptions.
12. Governing Law
These Terms and Conditions shall be governed and construed in accordance with the applicable laws of the jurisdiction in which ARDA Conference operates.