Terms of Service

Please read these Terms of Service carefully before using our scientific publication exploration platform.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using our website, you confirm that you accept these terms of service and agree to comply with them. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use our service. These terms, along with our Privacy Policy, govern your use of our platform.

2. Description of Service

Our platform provides scientific paper exploration and citation network visualization services, including a global citation map of the papers we are able to place. We offer both free and premium subscription tiers with enhanced features for research discovery and analysis.

3. User Accounts

To access certain features, you must create an account by providing accurate information including:

  • Valid email address
  • Secure password

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities under your account.

4. Acceptable Use

You may use our service only for lawful purposes. You agree not to:

  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations
  • Use automated systems to scrape or extract data beyond normal usage
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
  • Share your premium account credentials with others
  • Introduce malicious code or attempt to disrupt the service
  • Impersonate other users or entities

You acknowledge that certain features require authentication (citation edges, multi-origin graphs, graph history, and map picks). Viewing the citation map itself, and searching for a paper's position on it, require no account.

5. Premium Subscriptions

Premium features are available through paid subscriptions with the following terms:

  • Billing: Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually as selected
  • Auto-Renewal: Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled
  • Cancellation: You may cancel anytime through your account settings
  • Refunds: Refunds are provided only in cases of billing errors or duplicate charges
  • Organization Plans: Organization and multi-seat plans are arranged directly with us and may be subject to separate billing terms

All payments are processed securely through Stripe. Premium subscriptions are personal and non-transferable.

Features described as "unlimited" are subject to fair use. They carry no usage quota for ordinary human use, but we apply technical ceilings to protect the service from automated or abusive traffic, consistent with the Acceptable Use terms above.

6. Free Tier Limitations

Free accounts have the following usage limits:

  • Search Limits: Limited number of searches per week
  • Multi-Origin Graphs: Limited to 2 origin papers per graph
  • Citation Map Picks: 3 per week; a map pick is clicking a point on the citation map to list the papers there. Viewing, panning, recoloring and searching the map are unlimited and free for everyone, including visitors without an account
  • Citation Edges: Requires authentication to view citation relationships
  • Graph History: Limited to your 10 most recent graphs; entries are also automatically deleted 90 days after they are created

We may adjust these limits with reasonable notice. Premium subscriptions raise these limits.

7. Data and Content

Our platform utilizes scientific paper data from OpenAlex and Semantic Scholar, along with other academic databases. You acknowledge that:

  • Research data is provided for informational purposes
  • We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of all research content
  • Your saved papers and search history are stored securely
  • We may use aggregated, anonymized usage data to improve our services
  • You may export papers to BibTeX, or other citation formats, for academic use
  • Shareable graph URLs contain your graph configuration and can be accessed by anyone with the link
  • You are responsible for controlling who you share graph URLs with
  • Shared URLs do not expose your personal account information
  • Graph history entries are automatically deleted 90 days after they are created, regardless of subscription tier; free accounts additionally retain only their 10 most recent graphs (100 for premium)
  • Upon account deletion, your graph history and saved data will be permanently deleted

8. Intellectual Property

The platform, including its design, functionality, and original content, is owned by us and protected by intellectual property laws. Research papers and academic content are owned by their respective authors and publishers.

9. Service Availability

We strive to maintain service availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We may:

  • Perform maintenance that temporarily affects service
  • Update or modify features with reasonable notice
  • Suspend service for security or technical reasons

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we shall not be liable for:

  • Any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages
  • Loss of data, profits, or business opportunities
  • Service interruptions or technical issues
  • Accuracy of third-party research content

Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you have paid for the service in the preceding 12 months, or $100 if no payment was made.

11. Disclaimers

Our service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to:

  • Merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose
  • Accuracy, reliability, or completeness of content
  • Uninterrupted or error-free operation

12. User Content and Feedback

Any feedback, suggestions, or ideas you provide may be used by us without restriction or compensation. You retain ownership of your personal research data and saved content.

13. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your account if you violate these terms. You may terminate your account at any time through your account settings. Upon termination:

  • Your access to premium features will cease
  • Your account data may be deleted after a reasonable period
  • Outstanding subscription fees remain due

14. Third-Party Services

Our platform integrates with third-party services including AWS, Stripe, and academic databases. These services have their own terms and privacy policies.

15. Changes to Terms

We may modify these terms at any time. Significant changes will be notified through email or platform notifications. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

16. Contact Information

For questions about these terms or our service, contact us at:

  • Email: info@papernex.us

17. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the United States of America . Any disputes will be resolved in the courts of the United States of America.

Last Updated: 09/02/2026