Terms of Use

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Global Consumer Research Initiative ("GCRI") website and services, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use our services.

Use of GCRI Services

Permitted Uses

You may use GCRI services for:

• Non-commercial research and academic purposes
• Educational activities
• Policy analysis and development
• Personal learning and information

Prohibited Uses

You may NOT:

• Use GCRI data for commercial purposes without written permission
• Attempt to re-identify anonymized research participants
• Scrape, harvest, or systematically download large portions of the website
• Distribute GCRI data to third parties without authorization
• Misrepresent your affiliation with GCRI
• Use our services to transmit malware, spam, or illegal content
• Interfere with the proper functioning of our systems

Data Access and Use

Open Data

Aggregated, anonymized data available in our Open Data Commons is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). You must provide proper attribution when using this data.

Registered User Data

Synthetic microdata and other resources available to registered users are subject to additional terms specified in your Data Usage Agreement. These terms supersede conflicting provisions in these general Terms of Use.

Vetted Researcher Access

Full microdata access requires IRB approval and execution of a formal Data Use Agreement. Violations of these agreements may result in immediate termination of access and potential legal action.

Citations and Attribution

When using GCRI data or publications, you must provide proper attribution. Recommended citation format:

Failure to provide proper attribution may constitute academic misconduct or copyright infringement.

Intellectual Property Rights

Unless otherwise stated:

• GCRI owns all rights to website content, design, and functionality
• Research publications are subject to individual copyright notices
• The "GCRI" name and logo are protected trademarks
• Participant data contributions do not grant participants ownership of aggregated datasets

User Accounts

If you create a researcher account, you are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials
• All activities that occur under your account
• Notifying us immediately of unauthorized access
• Providing accurate and current registration information

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms or engage in fraudulent activity.

Disclaimer of Warranties

GCRI services are provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose
• Accuracy, reliability, or completeness of data
• Uninterrupted or error-free operation
• Security or freedom from viruses

While we strive for data quality, research findings may change as new data becomes available. Users should verify critical information independently.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, GCRI and its affiliates, officers, employees, and partners shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of our services, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless GCRI from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from your violation of these Terms of Use or misuse of GCRI data.

Research Ethics

Users accessing GCRI data agree to:

• Respect participant privacy and confidentiality
• Use data ethically and in accordance with IRB requirements (where applicable)
• Report any suspected data security breaches immediately
• Not attempt to contact or identify individual research participants

Modifications to Terms

GCRI reserves the right to modify these Terms of Use at any time. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

Termination

We may terminate or suspend your access to GCRI services immediately, without prior notice, if you violate these Terms of Use. Upon termination, your right to use our services ceases immediately, but provisions regarding intellectual property, disclaimers, and limitations of liability survive termination.

Governing Law

These Terms of Use are governed by and construed in accordance with international research ethics standards and the laws of Belgium (location of GCRI headquarters), without regard to conflict of law provisions. Disputes shall be resolved through arbitration in Brussels, Belgium, or as otherwise agreed by the parties.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms of Use is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Contact Information

Questions about these Terms of Use? Contact: