Terms of Service

Welcome to SNI Publications. These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the SNI Publications platform (sni.pubs.brian-labs.com), including any related services, tools, and interactions (collectively, the “Platform”). The Platform is operated by the Society of Neurological Initiatives (“SNI”, “we”, “us”, or “our”).

By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Platform.

1. Eligibility

The Platform is intended for researchers, academics, clinicians, and professionals in neuroscience and related fields. By creating an account, you represent that you are at least 18 years of age and have the legal capacity to enter into binding agreements.

2. User Accounts

To use certain features of the Platform, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete registration information
• Maintain the security of your password and account credentials
• Promptly update your account information if it changes
• Accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that provide false information or violate these Terms.

3. Manuscript Submissions

3.1 Submission Requirements

By submitting a manuscript, you represent and warrant that:

• The work is original and has not been previously published
• You have obtained all necessary permissions and approvals (e.g., institutional review board, informed consent)
• The manuscript does not infringe on any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights
• All listed authors have contributed meaningfully to the work and have approved the final version
• You have disclosed all conflicts of interest
• The manuscript complies with our Author Guidelines

3.2 Plagiarism and Research Integrity

All submissions are screened for plagiarism and research misconduct. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarized content, fabricated data, or other forms of research misconduct will be rejected and may result in permanent account suspension and notification of the author’s institution.

3.3 Preprints

Authors may flag submissions as preprints for fast publication without peer review. Preprint articles are clearly labeled as such and have not undergone formal peer review.

4. Peer Review Process

The Platform facilitates double-blind peer review. Reviewer identities are kept confidential from authors. Reviewers agree to:

• Conduct reviews objectively, professionally, and within the agreed timeframe
• Disclose any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves if necessary
• Maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and review materials
• Not use unpublished information from manuscripts for personal research

Editorial decisions are made by the editorial team based on reviewer recommendations. SNI reserves the right to make final editorial decisions at its discretion.

5. Intellectual Property

5.1 Platform Content

All content on the Platform — including text, graphics, logos, icons, images, data compilations, software, and the selection and arrangement thereof — is the property of SNI or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may view and download published articles for personal, non-commercial, scholarly use. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from Platform content without prior written permission.

5.2 Published Articles

Published articles are made available under open-access terms. Authors retain copyright to their work and grant SNI a non-exclusive license to publish, distribute, and index the article. Specific licensing terms (e.g., Creative Commons) are indicated on each published article.

5.3 User-Generated Content

By submitting content to the Platform (manuscripts, reviews, comments), you grant SNI a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, store, process, and display such content solely for the purposes of operating the Platform and the peer review and publishing workflow.

6. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law or regulation
• Impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity or affiliations
• Submit manuscripts that contain plagiarized, fabricated, or otherwise fraudulent content
• Interfere with or disrupt the Platform, servers, or networks
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to other users’ accounts or Platform systems
• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers) to access the Platform without written permission
• Harvest or collect personal information of other users
• Upload malicious software or content
• Circumvent any security features, access controls, or usage restrictions

7. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY. SNI DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE, OR THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED.

The views and opinions expressed in published articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SNI or the Society of Neurological Initiatives.

8. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SNI SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PLATFORM. OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US, IF ANY, IN THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS.

9. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless SNI, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to your use of the Platform, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

10. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be resolved in the courts of competent jurisdiction within the United States.

11. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms on the Platform with a revised “Last Updated” date. Your continued use of the Platform after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact: