Effective Date: October 30, 2024
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the SOCIOS platform accessible through www.socios.review. This also includes any associated websites that SOCIOS links to www.socios.review/. By accessing and using the Platform, you agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, please refrain from using the Platform.
For clarity, throughout these Terms:
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"SOCIOS" ("Platform") refers to the SOCIOS website, its operator, and all related services, including any associated services and websites linked through www.socios.review. |
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"User" or "Users" refers to individuals accessing or using the Platform, including authors, reviewers, and readers. |
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"Preprints" refers to preliminary versions of research articles shared before formal peer review and publication, as well as posters and slides. |
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"Content" refers to all materials, including text, images, and data, provided directly by SOCIOS on the website and associated websites. This includes proprietary content, content licensed to SOCIOS, and content under a Creative Commons license. |
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"Proprietary Content" refers to content owned by SOCIOS, protected by intellectual property laws, and not to be reproduced without express permission. |
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"Licensed Content" refers to content licensed to SOCIOS by third parties, with copyright belonging to the licensors and usage governed by the specific license terms. |
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"Creative Commons Content" refers to content available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, allowing users to copy, distribute, and create derivative works with appropriate credit to original authors. |
| "Third-Party Content" refers to materials, links, and content provided by external websites not operated by SOCIOS. |
| 2.1 | Users agree to use SOCIOS legally and ethically, following all applicable laws and community standards. Unauthorized access or attempts to disrupt the website, including the introduction of viruses, logic bombs, or harmful coding, are strictly prohibited. |
| 2.2 | Users should engage respectfully with others on the Platform, avoiding harassment, discrimination, or any form of abusive behavior. |
| 2.3 | The website, including all associated websites, and its content are protected by intellectual property laws. The copyright in the Proprietary Content belongs to SOCIOS; reproduction is prohibited unless express permission is given by SOCIOS. The copyright in the Licensed Content belongs to the licensors thereof. Trademarks appearing on this website are protected by applicable laws and international trademark laws. The copyright in the Creative Commons Content belongs to the licensors thereof and may only be used in accordance with the terms of the applicable Creative Commons license under which it is made available. |
| 2.4 | SOCIOS reserves the right to suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to the Platform at any time and for any reason, without prior notice. This includes, but is not limited to, violations of our General Terms and Conditions or Additional Terms. All decisions regarding access to the platform are made at the sole discretion of SOCIOS. |
| 2.5 | SOCIOS provides the website "as is" and does not guarantee its availability or accuracy. |
SOCIOS is committed to protecting user privacy in accordance with our Privacy Policy. We collect and use personal data responsibly and in compliance with applicable laws.
| 4.1 | SOCIOS shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from the use of the Platform or reliance on its content. Responsibility for the content lies solely with the Users. |
| 4.2 | SOCIOS is not liable for temporary unavailability of the Platform due to maintenance, technical issues, or unforeseen circumstances. Users acknowledge potential interruptions, delays, or suspensions in access. |
| 4.3 | While SOCIOS employs reasonable measures to protect user data, it cannot guarantee complete security against unauthorized access, data breaches, or hacking attempts. Users acknowledge the inherent risks of sharing data online. |
| 4.4 | SOCIOS may contain links to third-party websites. It is not liable for the information, privacy policies, or practices of these sites. Users are encouraged to review the terms and privacy policies independently. |
| 4.5 | SOCIOS is not liable for any user contributions or submissions that may be defamatory, offensive, or infringe on intellectual property rights. Users bear the responsibility for ensuring that their submissions do not violate third-party rights. |
| 4.6 | SOCIOS is not responsible for ensuring that user contributions comply with the laws applicable to the User. Users are responsible for understanding and adhering to the legal requirements in their jurisdictions. |
| 4.7 | SOCIOS disclaims liability for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in content published on the website. Users should independently verify information before reliance or use. |
| 4.8 | SOCIOS is not liable for consequential damages, including loss of profits, business interruption, or loss of business information resulting from platform use. |
| 4.9 | SOCIOS reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Continued platform use implies acceptance of revised Terms. SOCIOS is not liable for changes to its terms. |
| 4.10 | While SOCIOS makes efforts to select qualified Reviewers, it assumes no liability regarding the qualifications of experts conducting peer reviews. |
| 5.1 |
Users agree to indemnify and hold SOCIOS and its affiliates harmless from any claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorney fees) arising from:
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| 5.2 | Indemnification applies to all direct and indirect consequences of the user's actions on the Platform, including claims from third parties. |
| 5.3 | Users agree to cover all legal defense costs and expenses incurred by SOCIOS in relation to claims arising from their actions, including attorney fees. |
| 5.4 | SOCIOS will notify the user promptly of any claims for which indemnification is sought. Users are required to cooperate fully with SOCIOS in the defense of such claims, including providing necessary documents, evidence, and assistance. |
| 5.5 | SOCIOS reserves the right to assume exclusive control of the defense and settlement of any claim subject to indemnification. Any settlement must receive mutual approval from both SOCIOS and the User if it involves admitting liability or requires user payment. |
| 5.6 | This indemnification provision does not apply to claims resulting from SOCIOS's own negligence or willful misconduct. Users are not responsible for indemnifying for any claims arising solely from SOCIOS’s actions outside the scope of user interaction. |
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In specific circumstances, SOCIOS may indemnify users if proprietary content provided by SOCIOS infringes on third-party rights. |
These Terms and your use of the website are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, without regard to its conflict of laws principles. Any legal action or proceeding arising from or related to these Terms or the website shall be brought exclusively in the courts located in Cologne, Germany.
SOCIOS is operated by Cologne University and City Library, Universitätsstr. 33, 50931 Cologne which is part of the University's website. It applies to
The University of Cologne is a statutory body under public law. VAT identification number according to § 27a VAT Act: DE 123486767. The responsible regulatory authority is the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia, Völklinger Str. 49, 40221 Düsseldorf.
| 1.1 | Users must agree to these Terms and Conditions to register for an account on SOCIOS. |
| 1.2 | Users are required to provide their unique ORCID ID to access certain features. |
| 1.3 | Users must provide accurate and complete information during registration. It is the user's responsibility to update their information to maintain its accuracy. |
| 1.4 | Users are responsible for their account credentials and activities conducted through their account. |
| 1.5 | Each user is allowed one account; multiple accounts without permission may result in suspension. |
| 1.6 | Users consent to receive communications from SOCIOS and can manage preferences in their profile settings. |
| 1.7 | SOCIOS reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts at its discretion, especially in cases of fraudulent activity, violation of terms, or misuse of the Platform. |
| 2.1 | By submitting preprints, authors represent that they are authorized to do so on behalf of all contributors and agree to comply with these Terms. |
| 2.2 | All individuals with a reasonable claim to authorship are named. You confirm that nothing in the preprint infringes any duty of confidentiality or violates any contract, and that all institutions where the work was conducted have authorized its publication. |
| 2.3 | Authors retain the copyright to their preprints. By submitting a preprint, authors grant SOCIOS a non-exclusive, worldwide Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY) to publish, display, and distribute the work. Authors confirm that they have read and understood the terms of this license. |
| 2.4 | Authors must comply with the Platform’s specific submission guidelines and provide underlying data/code as required. Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and sources of funding. This information will be made available to reviewers and readers. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in delayed publication or non-publication, at the sole discretion of SOCIOS. |
| 2.5 | Preprint and Peer Review metadata will be submitted to DataCite for the registration of a DOI. Indexing services may use this service (i.e. BASE) or directly access website content (i.e. Google Scholar). SOCIOS holds no liability if the preprint is not indexed by any external service. |
| 2.6 | Preprints are not subject to alteration or withdrawal after their initial publication. Authors may revise, update, or correct their preprint only by publishing new versions, which will be systematically included in the documented history. |
| 2.7 | The decision to publish rests solely with SOCIOS, in line with publishing policies and guidelines. |
| 2.8 | SOCIOS reserves the right to remove preprints, even without notice where there is sufficient reason for doing so. This action is reserved for instances where content is definitively libelous, is the subject of a court order, infringes upon individual privacy, or could potentially pose a grave threat to public health. While the preprint's metadata will be preserved, the text will be supplanted by a notice detailing that the article, poster or slide has been excised due to legal implications. |
| 3.1 | Articles will be published on SOCIOS in advance of peer review. Published articles will undergo an open peer review process, where both author and reviewer identities are disclosed. Peer review reports will be published alongside the article. Authors consent to this process upon submission. |
| 3.2 | Authors may submit revised versions of the article for further peer review, incorporating the reviewers' feedback. Revisions should be submitted promptly for continued review and publication. The revision process may be limited to a certain number of resubmissions. |
| 3.3 | Reviewers must follow SOCIOS's reviewing guidelines to ensure a fair, unbiased, and thorough review process. |
| 3.4 | Reviewers must disclose conflicts of interest. This information will be made available to authors and readers. |
| 3.5 | Reviewers retain the copyright of their review reports but grant SOCIOS a non-exclusive, worldwide Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) to publish, display, and distribute the work. |
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All parties involved in the peer review process are expected to maintain the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct. Any instances of misconduct will be addressed in accordance with SOCIOS's ethical guidelines. |
| 4.1 | Users are welcome to post comments in accordance with our commenting guidelines. Comments must be lawful, respectful, and must not contain defamatory, offensive, inappropriate, indecent, or unlawful material. Comments must not bully, insult, intimidate, threaten, harass, or humiliate others, nor promote violence or discrimination. Sensitive information must not be disclosed, and comments must not solicit business or engage in commercial activities. |
| 4.2 | Users warrant that they have the right to comment and that their comments comply with applicable laws and Platform guidelines. Users are responsible for ensuring that their comments do not infringe on any third-party rights. |
| 4.3 | Links or URLs in Comments must be relevant, appropriate, and free from sensitive material, such as graphic violence or adult themes. SOCIOS is not responsible for third-party-content linked within Comments. |
| 4.4 | Users grant SOCIOS a perpetual, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, and edit their comments as necessary for publication or moderation. |
| 4.5 | SOCIOS reserves the right to monitor and remove comments that violate these terms without prior notice. Users may not always receive notification of comment removal. |
| 4.6 | Users can report comments they believe violate these Terms through the provided reporting mechanism. |
| 4.7 | Violation of the commenting guidelines may result in temporary or permanent ban from SOCIOS or further legal action if necessary. |
For inquiries or issues, users can contact SOCIOS at socios@ub.uni-koeln.de.
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SOCIOS is a project of the University and City Library of Cologne, funded by the German Research Foundation (508986968).
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