Terms of Service

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using VerifyScience ("the Service"), you accept and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Service.

2. Copyright and Intellectual Property

2.1 Platform Ownership

The VerifyScience platform, including but not limited to its design, functionality, code, user interface, logos, branding, and documentation, is owned by VerifyScience and protected by United Kingdom and international copyright laws.

2.2 User Content and Data

You retain ownership of:

Your Claude API keys (stored encrypted)
Your verification results and analysis data
Any research content you upload or analyze
Your account information and preferences

2.3 Restrictions

You may not:

Copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works of the VerifyScience platform
Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract source code
Remove, alter, or obscure copyright notices or branding
Use the Service to create competing products or services
Scrape, crawl, or automatically collect data from the Service

3. Service Description

VerifyScience is a research verification platform that uses artificial intelligence to analyse research papers, surveys, and statistical claims for methodological rigour and credibility. The Service includes:

Single-paper verification via URL, DOI, text paste, or file upload
Comparative verification of two papers side by side (Professional and Enterprise tiers)
Reference list verification with three-tier scanning (signal scan, quick check, deep verify)
External signal cross-referencing (retraction status, citation count, open access, DOAJ indexing)
Batch verification for multiple papers (Professional and Enterprise tiers)
REST API access for programmatic integration
PDF report export, citation export in multiple formats, and shareable result links
Chrome browser extension for verifying papers directly from PubMed

3A. Chrome Browser Extension

The VerifyScience Chrome extension is an optional browser add-on that enables verification of research papers directly from supported sites (currently PubMed). Use of the extension is subject to these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. The extension:

Accesses only paper metadata (DOI, title, authors, abstract) from supported research paper sites
Does not track browsing history or collect data from unsupported sites
Stores a locally-held authentication token that expires after 7 days
Consumes verifications from your standard monthly quota
Is subject to the same acceptable use policies as the web platform

The extension may be updated to support additional sites. We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the extension at any time.

4. Third-Party Services

VerifyScience integrates with the following third-party services:

Anthropic Claude AI - AI-powered analysis (requires your own API key)
Stripe - Payment processing
Google OAuth - Authentication

Use of these services is subject to their respective terms of service. VerifyScience is not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or policies of third-party services.

5. User Accounts and API Keys

5.1 Account Responsibility

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and API keys. You are fully responsible for all activities that occur under your account.

5.2 Claude API Requirements

To use VerifyScience verification features, you must provide your own Claude API key from Anthropic. You are responsible for:

Obtaining and maintaining a valid Claude API key
Costs associated with Claude API usage
Compliance with Anthropic's terms of service

5.3 VerifyScience API (Beta)

VerifyScience offers a REST API for developers and institutions. API access:

Requires a valid VerifyScience account and active subscription
Requires an API key generated from your Account Settings
Is subject to rate limits based on your subscription tier (5-120 requests/minute)
Counts toward your monthly verification quota (shared with web interface)

You are responsible for:

Securing your API credentials and preventing unauthorized access
All API requests made using your credentials
Compliance with rate limits and usage quotas
Ensuring your use case complies with these Terms

API keys can be revoked at any time from your Account Settings. We reserve the right to suspend API access for violations of these Terms or excessive usage patterns.

6. Subscription and Payment

6.1 Subscription Tiers

VerifyScience offers multiple subscription tiers:

Free: 3 verifications per month
Starter: 199 verifications per month (£4.99/month)
Professional: 499 verifications per month (£9.99/month)
Enterprise: 1999 verifications per month (£19.99/month)

6.2 Billing

Subscriptions are billed monthly via Stripe. You authorize us to charge your payment method on a recurring basis. Prices are subject to change with 30 days notice.

6.3 Cancellation and Refunds

You may cancel your subscription at any time. Cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period. No refunds are provided for partial months.

7. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

Use the Service for any illegal purpose
Violate intellectual property rights
Upload malicious code or viruses
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service
Interfere with other users' access to the Service
Use the Service to harass, abuse, or harm others

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. VerifyScience does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of verification results. AI-generated analysis should not be your sole basis for important decisions.

9. Limitation of Liability

VerifyScience shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages resulting from your use of the Service.

10. Data Privacy

Your use of VerifyScience is subject to our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

11. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be notified via email or prominent notice on the Service. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of modified Terms.

12. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account at any time for violation of these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Service immediately ceases.

13. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of England and Wales.

14. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, please contact:
[email protected]