Last updated: 13/02/2025
Welcome to Research Agora, a digital platform dedicated to fostering scientific collaboration by enabling researchers to submit and peer-review short original reports that are currently considered 'unpublishable' due to a partial overlap with published scientific articles or negative results, among others. Research Agora is committed to reducing research waste while enhancing reproducibility. These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your use of our platform and services. By accessing or using Research Agora, you agree to these Terms.
"Platform" refers to the Research Agora website and associated services.
"User" refers to any individual using the platform, including authors, reviewers, and visitors.
"Marble" refers to an independent research report that is linked to an original research article. Each Marble is authored by users and undergoes peer review before publication on the Platform.
"Author" refers to a user who submits a Marble for peer review and publication.
"Reviewer" refers to a user who assesses submitted Marbles.
"Corresponding Author/Reviewer" refers to the designated team member responsible for submission, payment, and token allocation.
"Tokens" refers to platform credits earned through peer review and redeemable for publication discounts. Tokens may also be used for additional services within Research Agora in the future.
"Institutional Subscription" refers to a payment model where institutions cover the cost of publication for their affiliated researchers through a monthly or yearly fee.
2.1. Authors
Authors are fully responsible for the content in the Marbles they submit.
Authors must provide accurate, original, and ethically compliant Marbles.
Marbles must comply with copyright laws, ensuring proper attribution of third-party materials.
The Corresponding Author is responsible for payment, submission, and communication with Research Agora.
Authors confirm that all third-party content used in their submissions is appropriately licensed and cited.
If the author's institution has an Institutional Subscription, the publication fee will be covered by the institution, and no additional payment will be required from the author.
2.2. Reviewers
Reviewers must provide fair, unbiased, and constructive reviews.
Institutional email verification is mandatory for registration.
The Corresponding Reviewer is responsible for token management.
Failure to complete accepted reviews without justification may result in penalties.
If a reviewer fails to complete a review after acceptance, they will receive a warning and a 20-token deduction. Upon repeated unjustified offenses, they will be removed from the reviewer pool.
2.3. Research Agora
Research Agora verifies identities and academic credentials before author submissions and reviewer assignments.
Personal data is processed in accordance with GDPR and our Privacy Policy.
Users may request data deletion in compliance with GDPR.
Research Agora is not liable for third-party data breaches beyond our control.
All published content is licensed under CC BY 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution).
By submitting content, authors accept full legal responsibility for owning or having appropriate licensing of all third-party materials included in their submission.
Research Agora is not liable for copyright infringement in user-submitted content.
After a Marble submission, Research Agora requests three reviewers from its pool of registered users.
Matchmaking is based on the field of expertise.
Peer review is double-blind until publication to reduce potential conflict of interest.
Authors may respond to reviewer comments before publication in an additional revision round.
A Marble is published only upon receiving a majority of positive reviews.
Upon publication, reviewers' names are published alongside the Marble. Their review comments are also published but are not directly linked to their names to ensure parallel transparency and constructive criticism.
If a dispute arises regarding a review, an additional reviewer will be assigned to re-evaluate the Marble.
Research Agora holds the final decision in case of disputes.
Publication fee: €250 per Marble (payable only after acceptance). Covered by the Corresponsing Author or through an Institutional Subscription.
Payment via bank transfer (invoice-based).
Token-based discounts:
100 tokens = free Marble publication.
70 tokens = 50% discount.
40 tokens = 25% discount.
The first submission and first review (upon completion) grant the Corresponding Author/Reviewer 100 tokens each.
Each subsequent review grants 10 tokens to the Corresponding Reviewer (only upon completion).
Tokens cannot be pooled for multiple submissions or by multiple authors.
No refunds for retracted Marbles. Authors bear full responsibility for content integrity.
Reviewers with multiple unresolved complaints from diverse researchers in different institutions may be suspended.
Users will receive warnings before suspension.
Corresponding authors can have up to three submissions under revision simultaneously. However, upon completion of a revision process, authors with outstanding payments cannot submit new Marbles unless covered by an Institutional Subscription.
Appeals will be reviewed by Research Agora's internal team.
Research Agora is not responsible for plagiarism, data fabrication or unethical research.
Authors are solely responsible for the accuracy and originality of their content, including ensuring compliance with ethical research standards and legal requirements. Any issues arising from misrepresentation, data fabrication, or plagiarism remain the sole responsibility of the author.
Service availability is not guaranteed, and technical issues may occur. Our efforts are dedicated to improving the user experience, and any such issues will be addressed as promptly as possible. Please report any technical difficulties to feedback@researchagora.com.
External links in Marbles are allowed, but Research Agora is not liable for third-party content. Authors must ensure that all linked materials comply with appropriate copyright and licensing requirements, including adherence to Creative Commons (CC) licensing where applicable.
Indemnification Clause: Users agree to indemnify and hold Research Agora harmless from any claims, liabilities, damages, or expenses arising from their submitted content or use of the platform.
Force Majeure Clause: Research Agora is not liable for failure to perform obligations due to unforeseen circumstances beyond its control, including but not limited to cyberattacks, natural disasters, or governmental restrictions.
These Terms are governed by Spanish and European law.
Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of Málaga, Spain.
Users are encouraged to seek mediation/arbitration before pursuing legal proceedings.
Governing Language: In case of discrepancies between translations, the Spanish version of these Terms prevails.
Research Agora is committed to WCAG-compliant accessibility.
Users needing accommodations should contact feedback@researchagora.com.
Research Agora reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time.
Continued use of the platform constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
Users will be notified of significant changes via platform announcements.
For further inquiries, contact feedback@researchagora.com.
Thank you for being part of Research Agora's mission to enhance scientific collaboration!
Read the Spanish Version of these Terms and Conditions
