Agreement to these terms
These Terms of Use ("Terms") are a legal agreement between you and ScholarVera LLC ("ScholarVera," "we," "us") governing your use of the WriteSight Microsoft Word add-in and the ScholarVera reference verification tool (together, the "Software"). By installing, signing in to, or using the Software, you agree to these Terms. If you don't agree, don't use the Software.
License granted
Subject to these Terms and to your account having valid access, ScholarVera grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to install and use the Software for its intended educational and scholarly purposes.
Accounts and access
WriteSight requires an account. You're responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide and for keeping your sign-in credentials confidential. You agree not to share your account, and to let us know promptly if you believe it has been used without your permission.
Access to the Software is granted to your account by ScholarVera or by an institution acting through us, and may be tied to a specific role (for example, writing mode or review mode). We may grant, change, suspend, or revoke access — for instance at the end of a pilot, a term, or a subscription period, or if these Terms are breached.
What you may not do
You agree not to:
- copy, modify, reverse-engineer, decompile, or attempt to derive the source code of the Software, except where that restriction is prohibited by law;
- resell, sublicense, rent, or redistribute the Software as your own;
- share account credentials, or use access granted to another person;
- use the Software to violate any law, or any policy of an institution you're subject to;
- attempt to defeat, forge, or tamper with the integrity-protection or authentication features of the Software;
- use the Software to harass, falsely accuse, or harm another person.
Intended use — observations, not verdicts
This matters to us, so we put it in the agreement. ScholarVera's tools surface information — how a document was constructed, whether a citation resolves to a real source — to support a human conversation about scholarly work.
The Software does not produce, and must not be treated as producing, a definitive judgment that a person engaged in misconduct. WriteSight's signals are context for a conversation; the reference checker flags citations that warrant a closer look. You are responsible for any decisions you make, and you agree not to treat the Software's output as the sole basis for a disciplinary finding or accusation.
Accuracy and "as-is" nature
We work hard on accuracy — the reference checker in particular is built around the commitment never to falsely confirm a fabricated source. But no tool is infallible. The Software is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We don't warrant that the Software will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that every result will be correct.
Intellectual property
The Software, including its code, design, and the "ScholarVera" and "WriteSight" names, is owned by ScholarVera LLC and protected by intellectual-property law. These Terms don't transfer any ownership to you. Your own documents and content remain yours — using WriteSight doesn't give us any claim to what you write.
Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, ScholarVera LLC will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss arising from your use of or inability to use the Software. To the extent any liability is not excludable, it is limited to the amount you paid us for the Software in the twelve months before the claim (which may be zero).
Changes to the Software and these Terms
We may update, change, or discontinue the Software, and we may revise these Terms. When we revise them, we'll update the version and effective date above. Your continued use after a change means you accept the revised Terms.
Termination
You may stop using the Software at any time. We may suspend or end your license or account access if you breach these Terms. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination — such as intellectual property, disclaimers, and limitation of liability — will survive.
Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Oklahoma, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules.
Contact
Questions about these Terms? Email chris@scholarvera.com.