Terms of Service

1. Introduction and Legal Agreement

Welcome to Springer Journals Online. These Terms and Conditions constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("the Client," "User," "Researcher") and Springer Journals Online ("the Company," "We," "Us," "Our"), a business operating in the State of New York, United States.

By accessing our website or placing an Order, you agree to comply with these Terms. If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must not use our Services.

2. Definitions

For clarity, the following terms are defined as:

  • "Service" refers to the journal selection, manuscript formatting, peer review assistance, research paper editing, publication support, dissertation support, thesis support, and writing support provided by the Company.
  • "Client" refers to the individual placing an Order and using the Service.
  • "Specialist" refers to the qualified subject-matter editor (typically holding an advanced degree in Medicine, Engineering, or Information Technology) assigned to complete the Order.
  • "Order" refers to the formal request for a specific Service submitted by the Client via our website, contact form, or other communication channel.
  • "Deliverable" refers to the final document, report, or file produced by the Specialist and sent to the Client.
  • "Brief" refers to the specific instructions, target journal guidelines, supervisor feedback, and requirements provided by the Client.

3. Nature of Services

We provide specialised academic consultancy. Our Services are designed to refine, strengthen, and prepare a Client's own original research for submission, not to replace the Client's authorship of that research.

3.1 Editorial and Advisory Work

All editorial feedback, formatting changes, and strategic recommendations we provide are intended to improve the presentation and clarity of work that the Client has independently authored. The Deliverable should be used to:

  • Understand and correct issues in your existing manuscript.
  • Align your formatting and citation style with your target journal.
  • See how a subject-matter specialist would strengthen your argument or structure.
  • Prepare for the actual peer review process.

3.2 Manuscript Formatting and Technical Figures

For Orders involving formatting, citation management, or the optimisation of tables, figures, and diagrams, the Deliverable reflects changes made directly to your existing material. We do not generate underlying research data, results, or findings on your behalf.

3.3 Writing Support Boundaries

Our Writing Support service assists with language, structure, and clarity. It must not be used to produce a submission intended to be presented as entirely your own unaided work where this would breach your institution's, employer's, or target journal's academic integrity policy. You are responsible for disclosing the use of editorial assistance where required. See Section 6 below.

4. Engagement Process and Specialist Matching

4.1 Placing an Order

You must provide a complete Brief when placing an Order, including your manuscript draft, target journal or institution guidelines, and any supervisor or reviewer feedback already received. We rely on your instructions to scope the work. We are not responsible for errors resulting from missing or incorrect information you provide.

4.2 The Specialist Matching Guarantee

We assign Orders based on subject area and complexity:

  • Standard Orders: Assigned to a Specialist with relevant subject-matter expertise in your discipline.
  • Advanced or Highly Technical Orders: Assigned to a Specialist with an advanced degree (MSc/PhD level) or substantial professional experience in that specific subfield.

We reserve the right to decline an Order if we cannot identify a suitably qualified Specialist. In such cases, a full refund will be issued.

4.3 Turnaround Time

Our standard turnaround estimate is 10-15 days for a full manuscript edit, calculated from the date full payment and all required materials are received. We recommend allowing additional buffer time before your actual submission deadline to review the Deliverable and make your own final adjustments. Delays caused by incomplete Briefs or late Client feedback are not the Company's responsibility and may extend the estimated delivery date.

5. Pricing and Payment

5.1 Quotations

Prices are calculated based on the scope, complexity, subject area, and turnaround time of the Order. Quotes are valid for 48 hours unless otherwise stated.

5.2 Payment Terms

Full payment is required before the Specialist begins work on your Order, unless a milestone arrangement has been agreed in writing for larger projects (see Section 14.3). We use secure third-party payment processors and do not store your card details directly.

5.3 Currency

Unless stated otherwise, all payments are processed in the currency specified on the invoice (typically GBP, USD, or EUR). You are responsible for any exchange rate fees charged by your bank.

5.4 Additional Fees

We reserve the right to request additional payment if the scope of the Order changes after the initial agreement, including added chapters, new data requirements, a change in target journal, or an increased word count. A supplementary invoice will be issued and work will pause until the new balance is paid.

6. Academic Integrity and Verification

6.1 Originality of Our Work

All editorial and formatting feedback is produced by a human Specialist based on your own material. We do not use automated text generators like ChatGPT for drafting content. We may use AI tools for grammar checking or plagiarism scanning only.

6.2 Your Responsibility

You agree that you will not use our Service to commit fraud or academic dishonesty. You certify that any manuscript, data, or material you send us is your own property, or that you have permission to use it. You indemnify us against any claims of copyright infringement or plagiarism arising from material you provide.

6.3 Disclosure

We strongly recommend disclosing the use of third-party editorial assistance where your institution, employer, or target journal requires such disclosure. We reserve the right to decline, suspend, or terminate any Order we reasonably believe involves fabricated data, plagiarism, or fraudulent authorship claims.

7. Deliverables and Delivery

7.1 Method of Delivery

The Deliverable will be sent to the email address you provided with your Order.

7.2 Technical Issues

We are not responsible for delivery delays caused by issues on your end, such as your email provider blocking our messages or your internet connection failing. Please check your spam or junk folder regularly.

7.3 Failure to Deliver

In the event we fail to deliver your Order by the agreed deadline, you are entitled to a full refund or a partial refund reflecting the delay, depending on your preference and as further detailed in our Refund Policy.

8. Revision Policy

We want you to be satisfied with the quality of the work. We offer free revisions under the following conditions:

8.1 Timeframe

You must request a revision within 14 days of receiving the final Deliverable. For Dissertation or Thesis Orders, this period is extended to 30 days.

8.2 Scope of Revision

Revisions are free only where the Specialist failed to follow your original Brief.

  • Valid Revision example: "The formatting guide I provided specified a different citation style, and this was not applied."
  • Invalid Revision example: "Please also restructure my discussion section" (where this was not part of the original Brief).

Requests that introduce new instructions or expand the original scope will be treated as a new Order and charged accordingly.

8.3 Feedback Clarity

You must provide specific, written feedback describing what needs to change. Vague statements such as "it's not good enough" are not sufficient grounds for a free revision.

9. Refunds and Cancellations

9.1 General Principles

  • Before Expert Assigned: If you cancel before we assign a writer, you receive a 100% refund.
  • After Expert Assigned: If you cancel after the writer has started, we will retain a percentage of the fee to compensate the writer for work already done (typically 50%).
  • Completed Work: No refunds are issued if the work has already been completed and delivered.

Full details, timelines, and processing periods are set out in our separate Refund Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

9.2 Quality Disputes

If you believe the Deliverable is below the standard agreed in your Brief, you must provide specific examples of unaddressed instructions or errors. We will investigate by having a second, independent Specialist review the work, consistent with our standard quality-check process. Subjective dissatisfaction with writing style alone is not grounds for a refund.

9.3 Failed Delivery

If we miss your deadline and you no longer need the work, you are entitled to a 100% refund.

9.4 Chargebacks

You agree to contact our support team to resolve any dispute before initiating a chargeback with your bank or card provider. Unauthorised chargebacks will be treated as a breach of these Terms and may result in a ban from future Services.

10. Intellectual Property and Copyright

10.1 Before Full Payment

The Deliverable remains the intellectual property of Springer Journals Online until full payment is received.

10.2 After Full Payment

Upon full payment, we grant you a non-exclusive, perpetual licence to use the Deliverable for your own academic or professional purposes. The Company may retain the right to use anonymised excerpts of completed work for internal quality assurance or training purposes, with all identifying client and research details removed.

10.3 No Resale

You may not publish, resell, distribute, or display the Deliverable on any public platform, repository, or third-party website.

11. Confidentiality and Data Protection

11.1 What We Collect

We collect only the data necessary to process your Order: your name, email address, phone number, and the research materials you submit.

11.2 Confidentiality

We do not share your personal details or unpublished research with any party other than the Specialist assigned to your Order, who is bound by confidentiality obligations. We do not sell your data to third parties.

11.3 Full Policy

Our complete data handling practices, including your rights regarding your personal data, are set out in our separate Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

12. Limitation of Liability

12.1 Academic Outcomes

We do not guarantee journal acceptance, a favourable peer review outcome, or any specific grade, admission decision, or degree result. The final outcome of any submission is your own responsibility and rests with the relevant journal or institution.

12.2 Academic Disciplinary Action

We are not liable for any disciplinary action, suspension, or other consequence you may face from your institution, employer, or publisher. It is your sole responsibility to use our Service in a way that complies with your institution's code of conduct.

12.3 Technical and Indirect Damages

We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of our website or Services, including loss of data or software incompatibility.

12.4 Liability Cap

Our total liability to you for any claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall not exceed the total amount you paid for the specific Order to which the claim relates.

13. User Conduct and Prohibited Use

You agree not to:

  • Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or to generate content promoting hate speech, violence, or illegal activity.
  • Attempt to contact our Specialists outside of our official communication channels.
  • Upload files containing viruses or malware.
  • Provide false information about your identity or academic level.

13.1 Right to Terminate

We reserve the right to terminate your access and refuse future Service if you violate these Terms or are abusive toward our team. We have a zero-tolerance policy for abusive conduct.

14. Service-Specific Terms

For clients using our "Plagiarism and AI Removal" service, the following specific terms apply:

14.1 Manuscript Formatting

We format your manuscript according to the style guide of the journal you specify. We are not responsible for formatting changes required after submission due to updates the journal makes to its own guidelines.

14.2 Peer Review Assistance

Our internal review process is designed to mimic the standards of a real peer reviewer, but it is advisory only and is not a prediction or guarantee of how an actual reviewer will respond.

14.3 Dissertation and Thesis Support

For long-form projects, we recommend structuring delivery by milestone (for example, Proposal, Literature Review, Methodology), with payment split accordingly. We encourage you to share supervisor feedback after each milestone so it can be incorporated into the next stage. Withholding feedback until the end of the project may result in additional fees for late-stage changes.

14.4 Writing Support

Writing Support is intended to assist with structure, clarity, and language. You remain solely responsible for ensuring your final submission complies with your institution's policies on the use of such assistance, including any disclosure requirements.

15. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

create dummy data for you if needed, but this must be agreed upon in writing.

16. General Provisions

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later. You may not assign these Terms without our prior written consent.

17. Amendments to These Terms

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. The latest version will always be posted on this page with an updated date. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted signifies your acceptance of the revised Terms.

18. Amendments to Terms

We reserve the right to update or modify these Terms at any time without prior notice. The latest version will always be posted on this page. Your continued use of the Service after any changes signifies your acceptance of the new Terms.

19. Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding these Terms and Conditions, please contact us:

Springer Journals Online
Email: editorial@springerjournalsonline.net
Phone:
Address: 120 Academic Way, Suite 400, Research Park, NY 10001