1. About these terms and REA
These Terms apply when you use www.ethics-association.org (the website). The website is operated by the Research Ethics Association (REA), a charitable incorporated organisation registered in England and Wales, charity number 1213363, with its registered address at 47 Newlyn Crescent, Puriton, Somerset, TA7 8BS.
By using the website, you agree to comply with these Terms. If you do not agree, you should not continue to use the website. These Terms do not remove any rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.
Specific terms may apply to membership, events, advertising, sponsorship, paid services, submissions or other activities. Where there is a conflict, the specific terms for that activity take priority.
2. Purpose of the website
REA provides educational information, resources, news, events, opportunities and discussion relating to research ethics. Content is provided for general information and education. Unless expressly stated, it is not legal, regulatory, medical, research-governance or professional advice and should not be treated as a substitute for advice appropriate to a particular situation.
REA does not grant ethics approval or institutional, professional or regulatory clearance. Users remain responsible for meeting the requirements that apply to their work.
3. Access, accounts and security
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You must provide accurate information when creating an account, registering or submitting a form.
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You must keep your login details confidential and tell REA promptly if you believe an account has been compromised.
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You must not use another person’s account without permission or create an account using a false identity.
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REA may change, restrict or withdraw website functions and may suspend or close an account where reasonably necessary for security, maintenance, legal compliance or a breach of these Terms.
Children and young people should use interactive or account-based services only where the relevant service permits this and any required parental or guardian involvement has been obtained.
4. Acceptable use
You must not:
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use the website unlawfully, fraudulently or in a way that infringes another person’s rights;
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upload malicious code, attempt unauthorised access, test security without permission, disrupt the website or place an unreasonable load on it;
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scrape, harvest or systematically extract personal information, account details or substantial parts of the website, except where law permits and appropriate safeguards are followed;
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impersonate another person, misrepresent an affiliation with REA or imply REA endorsement without written permission;
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post or transmit content that is unlawful, defamatory, discriminatory, threatening, harassing, misleading, infringing or otherwise harmful; or
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use contact details obtained through the website for unsolicited marketing, harassment or another incompatible purpose.
Reasonable use by search engines, assistive technologies and non-commercial research tools is not prohibited merely because it is automated, provided it is lawful, respects technical controls and does not collect personal information or unreasonably burden the website.
5. Intellectual property and permitted use
Unless another owner or licence is identified, REA owns or is licensed to use the text, design, logos, graphics, recordings and other material on the website. Copyright and other intellectual-property rights remain with their owners.
You may view the website and print or download a reasonable copy for personal study, teaching or other non-commercial use, provided you keep any attribution and copyright notice. A resource published under a Creative Commons or other stated licence may be used according to that licence.
You must obtain written permission before using the REA name or logo, republishing substantial content, changing a resource in a way that suggests REA approval, or using website content commercially unless a stated licence permits it.
6. Contributions and submissions
If you submit an article, abstract, image, recording, comment or other material, you confirm that it is your own work or that you have the permissions needed to submit it, and that it does not unlawfully disclose personal, confidential or infringing material.
You retain ownership of your contribution. Unless separate contributor terms say otherwise, you give REA a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to review, edit for clarity and accessibility, publish, reproduce, archive and promote the contribution for REA’s charitable and educational activities. REA will not sell ownership of your work and will identify you as author where agreed and reasonably practicable.
REA may decline, postpone, correct or remove a contribution where reasonably necessary for quality, safeguarding, legal, ethical, technical or reputational reasons. More detailed contributor or event terms may apply.
7. Memberships, events and other services
Information displayed about availability, dates, speakers, prices or benefits may change. A booking, membership, advertising or other paid arrangement is governed by the specific terms shown or supplied at the point of booking or agreement.
These general website Terms do not by themselves create a paid membership, event booking, advertising contract or entitlement to a particular service.
8. Advertising, sponsorship and third-party links
Paid advertising and sponsored material will be identified in accordance with REA’s Advertising and Sponsorship Policy. Publication does not mean that REA endorses, accredits, recommends or guarantees an advertiser, sponsor, product, service or opportunity.
The website may link to material operated by other organisations. REA does not control their availability, content, security, privacy practices or transactions. A link does not imply endorsement unless REA expressly says so. You should review the relevant third party’s terms and privacy information.
9. Privacy and cookies
REA handles personal information in accordance with its Privacy Notice and Data Protection Policy. The Website Cookie Policy explains how cookies and similar technologies are used and how choices can be managed. These documents are available through the website footer.
10. Accuracy, availability and changes
REA takes reasonable care over its website but does not promise that every item will always be complete, current, error-free or continuously available. Content may be corrected, updated, archived or removed. Events, links and external information should be checked with the relevant organiser or source before action is taken.
Access may be interrupted for maintenance, security, provider failure or circumstances beyond REA’s reasonable control. REA will take reasonable steps to restore services but does not guarantee uninterrupted access.
11. Responsibility and liability
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of rights that cannot lawfully be excluded, or any other liability that law does not permit REA to exclude.
Subject to that paragraph, REA is not responsible for loss caused by reliance on general educational content as if it were professional advice, by an external website or service, by unauthorised or unlawful use of the website, or by events outside REA’s reasonable control.
Where you use the website as a consumer, your statutory rights are not affected. Any separate paid service terms will set out the contractual rights and remedies that apply to that service.
12. Breaches and suspension
REA may remove content, restrict functions, suspend an account or block access where it reasonably believes this is necessary to protect users or systems, investigate misuse, comply with law, enforce these Terms or manage a material risk. Where appropriate, REA may report suspected unlawful conduct to the relevant authority.
13. Complaints and intellectual-property concerns
Questions or complaints about the website may be sent to info@ethics-association.org. Data-protection requests or complaints should be sent to admin@ethics-association.org.
If you believe website content infringes your intellectual-property rights, provide enough information to identify the work, the material concerned, the basis of your claim and your contact details. REA may temporarily remove material while it reviews the concern.
14. Governing law and jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction, except that a consumer may also have rights to bring a claim in the part of the United Kingdom or other jurisdiction where consumer law requires this.
15. Changes and contact
REA may update these Terms to reflect changes to the website, its services or legal requirements. The current version and publication date will appear on the website. Material changes will not retrospectively remove rights already arising under a separate contract.
Research Ethics Association
47 Newlyn Crescent, Puriton, Somerset, TA7 8BS
info@ethics-association.org
www.ethics-association.org