Research Paper Digest Developed by: Bioinformatics.Expert UG (haftungsbeschr.) Dr. rer. nat. Felix Bormann https://bioinformatics.expert

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Terms and Conditions

Bioinformatics.Expert UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Dr. Felix Bormann, Barnetstrasse 77, 12305 Berlin
E-Mail: f.bormann(at)bioinformatics.expert

1. Scope and Subject Matter

These Terms and Conditions govern the use of the Research Paper Digest web application (“the Service”) operated by Bioinformatics.Expert UG (haftungsbeschränkt) (“we”, “us”). By using the Service, the user agrees to these Terms and Conditions.

2. Description of the Service

Paper Digging

This program allows users to search for the co-occurrence of various words within the main text body of scientific publications. The database currently encompasses approximately 5 million articles designated as open-source and available for commercial use by the PubMed Central database from the National Institutes of Health. The scope of the database may change in the future.

Users can enter up to 6 words and select a match mode for each word. The program does not differentiate between upper and lower case letters. The available match modes are:

   • Exact match: Searches for the exact word (e.g., “cancer”).
   • Plural (+s): Also searches for the plural form by appending “s” (e.g., “cancers”; irregular plural forms such as “mice” are not detected).
   • Starts with (word*): Searches for the word with additional letters following it (e.g., “cancerous”).
   • Ends with (*word): Searches for the word with additional letters preceding it (e.g., “skin-cancer”).
   • Contains (*word*): Searches for the word with additional letters both preceding and following it (e.g., “skin-cancerous”).

All match modes are available to all users. Advanced search is open to everyone.

Upon submitting a search, the job is queued on the server and executed when resources are available. Results are typically available within a short time.

After the analysis is complete, a list of PMC IDs is provided showing all publications where the searched words co-occur. The list is sorted by the minimum number of sentences(1) required to display every word. The text passage of the top result is shown with the queried words highlighted.

(1) Sentences are constructs defined by an algorithm. In some cases they may not correspond to grammatical sentences.

3. Access Tiers

The Service is available in three access tiers:

   • Guest (no registration): Unlimited queries. Only the top result is displayed.
   • Free tier (registered users): All results are displayed. Limited to 30 queries per month. Registration requires only an e-mail address (stored as a salted hash; see Data Protection).
   • Subscribed users: Unlimited queries and full access to all features.

4. Subscription, Pricing and Billing

The following subscription plans are available:

   • Monthly subscription: 14.99 EUR / month

All prices are inclusive of applicable VAT. Payment is processed via PayPal. The subscription begins immediately upon successful payment and renews automatically at the end of each billing period (monthly or annually) until cancelled.

B2B offers for multiple subscriptions are available upon request.

5. Cancellation

Subscriptions may be cancelled at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period; access to subscribed features remains available until that date. No partial refunds are issued for unused time within a billing period. Cancellation can be requested by e-mail to f.bormann(at)bioinformatics.expert.

6. Right of Withdrawal

The Service constitutes a digital service that becomes immediately accessible upon purchase. By completing the subscription purchase, the user expressly agrees that the Service shall commence immediately and acknowledges that the right of withdrawal (Widerrufsrecht) is thereby waived in accordance with § 356 Abs. 5 BGB. This waiver requires active confirmation by the user at the point of purchase.

7. Use of Results

Search results generated by the Service may be used freely, including for commercial purposes, without restriction. No attribution to Bioinformatics.Expert is required, though it is appreciated.

Users are responsible for ensuring compliance with the terms of use of the underlying PubMed Central database when accessing or reproducing the original publications.

8. Availability and Service Interruptions

We endeavour to provide the Service on a continuous basis but do not guarantee uninterrupted availability. We reserve the right to perform maintenance, updates, or modifications to the Service at any time. We accept no liability for temporary unavailability or data loss caused by technical failures, maintenance, or circumstances beyond our control.

9. Prohibited Use

Automated querying of the Service (e.g., scraping, bots, or scripts) is prohibited without prior written consent. We reserve the right to block access for users who violate this provision.

10. Changes to Prices and Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms and Conditions and subscription prices at any time. Registered users will be notified of material changes by e-mail with reasonable advance notice. Continued use of the Service after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. Active subscribers will not be affected by price changes until the start of their next renewal period.

11. Limitation of Liability

The Service is provided “as is”. We make no warranties regarding the completeness, accuracy, or fitness for a particular purpose of the search results. We accept no liability for decisions made on the basis of results generated by the Service. Our liability for damages is limited to cases of intent or gross negligence, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

12. Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany. The exclusive place of jurisdiction for disputes with merchants or legal entities is Berlin, Germany.