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Terms of Service

Effective date: May 8, 2026

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of Delphi Studio (“Service”), operated by Delphi Studio, Inc. (“we,” “our,” or “us”). By using the Service you agree to these Terms. If you are using the Service on behalf of an institution, you represent that you have authority to bind that institution.

These terms have not yet been reviewed by legal counsel and should not be relied upon as legal advice. They will be finalized before public launch.

1. Early-Access Service

Delphi Studio is currently in early access. The Service is provided “as is” during this period. Features, pricing, and terms may change with reasonable notice. We may invite select researchers under separate early-access agreements that supplement these Terms.

2. Eligibility and Accounts

You must be at least 18 years old and capable of forming a binding contract to use the Service as a researcher. Panelists invited to participate in a study need not create an account but are bound by these Terms with respect to their use of the platform.

You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account. Authentication links are single-use and expire; do not forward them. Notify us immediately at security@delphistudio.org if you suspect unauthorized access.

3. Permitted Use

You may use the Service to:

  • Design and conduct Delphi-method and structured consensus studies
  • Invite panelists and collect structured responses across multiple rounds
  • Analyze results and export data for research and publication
  • Collaborate with co-investigators at your institution

4. Prohibited Use

You may not:

  • Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of applicable regulations
  • Conduct research on human subjects without appropriate IRB or ethics board approval where required
  • Collect responses from individuals who have not provided informed consent as required by applicable law
  • Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or circumvent security controls of the platform
  • Impersonate another researcher or panelist or submit fabricated responses
  • Use the Service to store or transmit material that is defamatory, obscene, or infringes third-party intellectual property rights
  • Resell or sublicense access to the Service without our prior written consent

5. Researcher Responsibilities and IRB Compliance

Researchers are solely responsible for ensuring their studies comply with all applicable ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements — including but not limited to IRB or ethics board review, informed consent, data security obligations under HIPAA or GDPR, and institutional data governance policies. Delphi Studio does not review study protocols for compliance and does not serve as a Covered Entity or Business Associate under HIPAA unless a separate BAA is executed.

By creating a study, you represent that you have obtained all necessary approvals and consents required to collect the data associated with that study.

6. Data Ownership and License

You retain all rights to the study data, questionnaire designs, and results you create or collect through the Service. You grant us a limited, non-exclusive license to host, process, and transmit that data solely to operate and improve the Service on your behalf. We do not claim ownership of your research data and will not use it to train AI models without your explicit written consent.

You may export your data at any time. Upon account termination, we will make your data available for export for 30 days, after which it may be deleted.

7. Audit Trails and Reproducibility

The Service maintains immutable audit logs of key events (round creation, invitation delivery, response submission, result generation) to support research reproducibility. These logs are retained for a minimum of three years and may be exported for publication or regulatory review. Audit log entries cannot be edited or deleted by researchers.

8. Intellectual Property

The Delphi Studio platform, brand, and underlying software are owned by us and protected by intellectual property law. These Terms do not transfer any ownership rights to you. Feedback or suggestions you provide may be used by us without obligation to you.

9. Fees and Payment

During early access, the Service may be provided free of charge or under a separate pricing agreement. We will provide at least 30 days’ notice before transitioning to paid tiers. Payment terms, refund policies, and plan details will be published when billing is introduced.

10. Availability and Modifications

We strive for high availability but do not guarantee uptime. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service with reasonable notice. We will endeavor to give at least 30 days’ notice for material changes that affect active studies.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be error-free or uninterrupted.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our aggregate liability to you for any claim arising from the Service is limited to the fees you paid to us in the twelve months preceding the claim. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Delphi Studio and its officers, directors, and employees from claims arising out of your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your failure to obtain required IRB approvals or participant consents.

14. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles. Disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association, except that either party may seek injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you by email and post a notice on the platform at least 14 days before material changes take effect. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

16. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email legal@delphistudio.org or visit our Help Center.