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Advances.in

Consultation Agreement

Consultancy Agreement

Parties

  1. Consultant: The individual agreeing to this agreement.
  2. Client: Advances.in LTD, a company incorporated in England and Wales (registration number 14114105) with its registered office at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom.

Agreement

  1. Definitions
    1. “Agreement” refers to this document, including any schedules and amendments.
    2. “Charges” refer to:
      1. The amounts specified in Part 5 of Schedule 1 and elsewhere in this Agreement.
      2. Any other amounts agreed in writing by both parties.
    3. “Client Materials” are all works and materials supplied by the Client for incorporation into the Deliverables.
    4. “Deliverables” involve the scientific peer-review process of a paper submitted to one of the Client’s journals, treated as one peer review process per paper.
    5. “Effective Date” means the date this Agreement is accepted.
    6. “Intellectual Property Rights” include all intellectual property rights globally, whether registered or not.
    7. “Schedule” refers to any attached schedule to this Agreement.
    8. “Services” are the consultancy services specified in Part 1 of Schedule 1.
    9. “Term” is the duration of this Agreement as specified in Clauses 2.1 and 2.2.

  2. Term
    1. This Agreement becomes effective upon acceptance by the Consultant.
    2. This Agreement continues indefinitely unless terminated in accordance with Clause 10 or any other provisions of this Agreement.

  3. Services
    1. The Consultant agrees to provide the Services in accordance with this Agreement.
    2. The Services must meet the following criteria:
      1. Adherence to common academic standards and norms.
      2. Reviews provided within three weeks (preferably two weeks) after receiving the original or revised manuscripts. Exceptions require approval.
      3. Reviews must demonstrate thorough engagement with the paper, including a summary of its key points.
      4. Feedback should be detailed, constructive, and accurate, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses.
      5. Reviews should cover all sections of the paper (e.g., introduction, methods, results, discussion).
      6. Language must be professional and polite.
      7. Compliance with ethical and scientific standards is required.
      8. Completion of multiple-choice questions concerning the paper is mandatory.
      9. Compensation is for the completion of all review rounds requested by the editor.

  4. Deliverables
    1. Deliverables must be submitted via the submission handling system at https://advances.pub.
    2. Deliverables should adhere to the timetable set out in Part 3 of Schedule 1 or as otherwise agreed.
    3. The Consultant warrants that:
      1. Deliverables conform to Part 2 of Schedule 1 requirements.
      2. Deliverables are free from material defects or plagiarism.
      3. Deliverables do not infringe any intellectual property rights or breach laws.

  5. License
    1. The Consultant grants the Client a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, and irrevocable license to use the Deliverables.
    2. Reviews will be made openly available in anonymized form on the Client’s website.

  6. Charges
    1. The Client will pay the Charges in accordance with this Agreement.
    2. All amounts include any applicable taxes.

  7. Payments
    1. The Consultant may issue invoices after Services have been delivered.
    2. The Client must pay within 14 days of receiving an invoice, provided Services meet the minimum requirements.
    3. Payments can be made by bank transfer or an alternative method agreed upon by both parties.
    4. If the Client fails to pay, the Consultant may:
      1. Charge interest at 8% per annum above the Bank of England base rate.
      2. Claim interest and compensation under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
    5. If the Client terminates this Agreement when Services are partially completed, the Consultant is not entitled to payment.

  8. Warranties
    1. The Consultant warrants that:
      1. They have the legal right and authority to enter this Agreement.
      2. They will comply with applicable laws and regulations.
      3. They possess the necessary expertise to perform their obligations.
      4. They will keep confidential any information received from the Client unless permitted otherwise.
    2. The Client warrants that it has the legal right and authority to enter this Agreement.
    3. All warranties are expressly stated in this Agreement,

  9. Limitations and Exclusions of Liability
    1. Nothing in this Agreement will:
      1. Limit or exclude liability for death or personal injury due to negligence.
      2. Limit or exclude liability for fraud.
      3. Limit liabilities contrary to applicable law.
      4. Exclude liabilities that cannot be excluded under applicable law.
    2. Limitations and exclusions:
      1. Govern all liabilities under this Agreement.
      2. Include liabilities arising in contract, tort, or statutory duty.
    3. The Client is not liable for any loss of profits, revenue, data, or consequential damages.

  10. Termination
    1. The Client may terminate this Agreement at any time with at least 1 day’s written notice.
    2. Either party may terminate immediately if the other party breaches this Agreement.
    3. Termination is allowed if:
      1. The other party ceases business operations or becomes insolvent.
      2. An administrator or similar is appointed over the other party’s assets.
      3. The other party is subject to bankruptcy or winding-up proceedings.
    4. The Consultant can only sign one contract per submission. Multiple contracts for the same service will invalidate all but the first.

  11. Effects of Termination
    1. Upon termination, certain clauses will continue indefinitely: Clauses 1, 5, 9, 11, 12.2, and 14.
    2. Termination does not affect accrued rights.

  12. Status of Consultant
    1. The Consultant is an independent contractor responsible for their own taxes.
    2. Termination does not constitute unfair dismissal or entitle the Consultant to compensation.

  13. Subcontracting
    1. The Consultant must not subcontract without prior written consent.
    2. The Consultant remains responsible for subcontracted obligations.

  14. General
    1. No breach can be waived without written consent.
    2. If a provision is found unlawful or unenforceable, it will be modified or removed as necessary.
    3. This Agreement may only be varied by a written document signed by both parties.
    4. Neither party may assign or transfer rights without consent.
    5. This Agreement is not intended to benefit or be enforceable by third parties.
    6. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes previous agreements.
    7. This Agreement is governed by English law.
    8. The courts of England have exclusive jurisdiction over disputes.

Schedule 1 (Services Particulars)

1. Specification of Services

The Consultant will participate in the peer-review process as specified by the Client.

2. Specification of Deliverables

The Consultant must submit written evaluations and answer multiple-choice questions via the Client’s submission handling software.

3. Timetable

Evaluations are to be submitted within 3 weeks (preferably 2 weeks) of accessing each version of the submission.

4. Financial Provisions

Payment is contingent upon meeting the minimum requirements. Compensation is $100 (USD) per completed review process.