Terms of Service

Last Updated: November 21, 2025

Welcome to OnlineQDA. By accessing or using our qualitative data analysis platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). Please read them carefully.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By registering for an account, accessing, or using OnlineQDA's services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use our services.

2. Description of Service

OnlineQDA is a cloud-based qualitative data analysis platform that allows users to:

• Create and manage research projects
• Upload and analyze documents
• Create codes and categorize data
• Generate visualizations
• Collaborate with team members (Academic plan)

3. Account Registration and Security

3.1 Account Creation

To use OnlineQDA, you must create an account using a valid email address. You may register using:

• Email and password
• Google OAuth authentication

3.2 Account Security

You are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
• All activities that occur under your account
• Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

3.3 Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms or engage in fraudulent, illegal, or harmful activities.

4. Subscription Plans and Payments

4.1 Plan Types

OnlineQDA offers three subscription plans:

• Free Plan: Limited features (3 projects, 10 documents/project, 20 codes/project)
• Pro Plan: Unlimited features at $4.99/month or $50/year
• Academic Plan: Custom pricing for institutions with additional collaboration features

4.2 Payment Terms

• Pro subscriptions are billed monthly or annually in advance
• All payments are processed securely through our payment provider (Paddle/Stripe)
• Prices are in USD and may be subject to applicable taxes
• Payment information is never stored on our servers

4.3 Promotional Codes

We may offer promotional codes for free or discounted access. Promotional codes:

• May have usage limits and expiration dates
• Cannot be combined with other offers
• May be revoked if obtained fraudulently

4.4 Refund Policy

We offer a 14-day money-back guarantee for new Pro subscriptions. Refund requests must be submitted within 14 days of purchase. Annual subscriptions are non-refundable after 14 days.

4.5 Subscription Cancellation

You may cancel your Pro subscription at any time. Upon cancellation:

• You will retain Pro access until the end of your billing period
• Your account will revert to the Free plan
• Your data will remain accessible within Free plan limits
• No refunds will be issued for partial billing periods

5. User Content and Data Ownership

5.1 Your Content

You retain all ownership rights to the content you upload to OnlineQDA, including:

• Research documents
• Project data
• Codes and categories
• Analysis results

5.2 License to OnlineQDA

By uploading content, you grant OnlineQDA a limited license to:

• Store and process your data to provide the service
• Create backups for data protection
• Analyze usage patterns for service improvement (anonymized)

We will never sell, share, or use your research data for any purpose other than providing you service.

5.3 Data Retention

Your data is retained for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account:

• Your data will be permanently deleted within 30 days
• Backups may be retained for up to 90 days for disaster recovery

6. Acceptable Use Policy

6.1 Prohibited Activities

You agree NOT to:

• Upload illegal, harmful, or offensive content
• Violate any applicable laws or regulations
• Infringe on intellectual property rights of others
• Attempt to hack, compromise, or disrupt the service
• Use the service for unauthorized commercial purposes
• Share your account credentials with others
• Create multiple accounts to bypass plan limits
• Upload malware, viruses, or malicious code

6.2 Research Ethics

Users conducting academic research must:

• Comply with their institution's ethical guidelines
• Obtain necessary consent from research participants
• Protect sensitive or personally identifiable information

7. Intellectual Property

7.1 OnlineQDA's Rights

The OnlineQDA platform, including its design, code, features, and branding, is owned by OnlineQDA and protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.

7.2 Trademarks

OnlineQDA, the OnlineQDA logo, and other marks are trademarks of OnlineQDA. You may not use these marks without our written permission.

8. Service Availability and Limitations

8.1 Service Uptime

While we strive for 99.9% uptime, we do not guarantee uninterrupted service. The service may be temporarily unavailable due to:

• Scheduled maintenance
• Technical issues
• Force majeure events

8.2 Plan Limitations

Service limitations are enforced based on your subscription plan. Exceeding limits may result in service restrictions until you upgrade your plan.

8.3 Service Modifications

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the service at any time with reasonable notice to users.

9. Privacy and Data Security

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection and use of your personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

OnlineQDA is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Merchantability
• Fitness for a particular purpose
• Non-infringement
• Accuracy or completeness of content

We do not guarantee that the service will be error-free, secure, or uninterrupted.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, OnlineQDA and its affiliates shall not be liable for:

• Any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages
• Loss of data, profits, or research results
• Damages resulting from service interruptions
• Unauthorized access to your account

Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless OnlineQDA, its officers, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from:

• Your use of the service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third-party rights
• Content you upload to the platform

13. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date
• We will notify users via email for material changes
• Continued use of the service constitutes acceptance of new Terms

If you do not agree to updated Terms, you must discontinue using the service.

14. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

14.1 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of [Your Jurisdiction], without regard to conflict of law principles.

14.2 Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of OnlineQDA shall be resolved through:

1. Good faith negotiations between the parties
2. Mediation if negotiations fail
3. Binding arbitration as a last resort

15. Termination

15.1 Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us at onlineqda@gmail.com

15.2 Termination by Us

We may terminate or suspend your account immediately if you:

• Violate these Terms
• Engage in fraudulent activity
• Fail to pay subscription fees
• Harm other users or the platform

15.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your access to the service will cease
• Your data will be deleted per our retention policy
• No refunds will be issued for pre-paid subscriptions
• Provisions that by their nature should survive will remain in effect

16. Academic and Institutional Use

For Academic plan subscribers, additional terms may apply regarding:

• Multi-user access and collaboration
• Data ownership for research teams
• Institutional billing arrangements
• Training and support services

These terms will be specified in your Academic plan agreement.

17. Export Control

OnlineQDA is operated from [Your Country]. Users accessing the service from other countries are responsible for compliance with local laws regarding online conduct and data privacy.

18. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and OnlineQDA regarding the use of the service and supersede all prior agreements.

19. Severability

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

20. Waiver

No waiver of any term of these Terms shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or any other term, and OnlineQDA's failure to assert any right or provision under these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.