Terms & Conditions: The Academic Architect
Effective Date: February 24, 2026
1. Nature of Service: The “Structural Audit”
The Academic Architect provides specialised manuscript auditing, structural refinement, and publication consultancy. Our role is that of a Technical Auditor, providing an external evaluation of your research’s “load-bearing” logic, flow, and alignment with Q1 journal standards. We do not provide ghostwriting, data fabrication, or any services that violate international standards of academic integrity (COPE guidelines).
2. No Guarantee of Publication
While our “Forensic Hardening” process is designed to improve the structural integrity of a manuscript significantly, The Academic Architect does not guarantee acceptance, publication, or specific reviewer outcomes. The final decision rests solely with journal editors and peer-review boards. Our service is a professional recommendation based on current scholarly standards, not a guarantee of results.
3. Intellectual Property & Authorship
➡️ Client Ownership: The Client retains 100% ownership of all original research, data, and drafts submitted. The Academic Architect claims no rights to your intellectual property.
➡️ Authorship Ethics: In alignment with global academic standards (ICMJE), our structural refinement does not constitute “co-authorship.” The Client remains the sole author and is responsible for the accuracy of all findings.
➡️ Acknowledgement: While not mandatory, we encourage clients to acknowledge “The Academic Architect” for technical and structural assistance in final publications.
➡️ Authorship Ethics: In alignment with global academic standards (ICMJE), our structural refinement does not constitute “co-authorship.” The Client remains the sole author and is responsible for the accuracy of all findings.
➡️ Acknowledgement: While not mandatory, we encourage clients to acknowledge “The Academic Architect” for technical and structural assistance in final publications.
4. Payment Structure & Project Phases
To maintain the professional integrity of our production schedule, the following payment structure applies:
➡️ Project Initiation Fee: A non-refundable fee of 50% of the total project cost is required to transition from the “Scope of Work” phase to the “Active Hardening” phase. This fee secures your delivery window and initiates the deep forensic audit of your manuscript.
➡️ Final Balance: The remaining 50% balance is due upon completion of the audit and prior to the delivery of the final “Hardened Manuscript” and accompanying structural reports.
➡️ Payment Terms: Work will only commence once the Project Initiation Fee has been cleared. All fees are processed through secure, PCI-DSS compliant partners.
➡️ Project Initiation Fee: A non-refundable fee of 50% of the total project cost is required to transition from the “Scope of Work” phase to the “Active Hardening” phase. This fee secures your delivery window and initiates the deep forensic audit of your manuscript.
➡️ Final Balance: The remaining 50% balance is due upon completion of the audit and prior to the delivery of the final “Hardened Manuscript” and accompanying structural reports.
➡️ Payment Terms: Work will only commence once the Project Initiation Fee has been cleared. All fees are processed through secure, PCI-DSS compliant partners.
5. Cancellation & Refunds
Due to the bespoke, time-intensive nature of forensic auditing, the Project Initiation Fee is non-refundable once work has commenced. If the Client wishes to cancel the engagement after the initiation fee is paid but before completion, the final 50% balance will be waived, but the initial fee will be retained to cover the cognitive labour and resource allocation already expended.
6. Client Warranties
The Client warrants that the submitted manuscript is their original work and does not infringe upon the copyrights or intellectual property of third parties. The Client is responsible for ensuring all citations are accurate and that the research has received all necessary ethical approvals (e.g., IRB).
7. Forensic Confidentiality
All manuscripts are treated as “Sealed Blueprints.” We maintain strict non-disclosure of your unpublished work. We do not use your research data to train artificial intelligence models, nor do we share drafts with third parties without explicit written consent.
8. Limitation of Liability
The Academic Architect shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages resulting from the use of our services, including but not limited to journal rejections or errors in the original data provided by the Client. Our liability is limited to the total fee paid for the specific service engagement.
9. Contact Information
For inquiries regarding these terms, please contact: The Academic Architect
[consult@theacademicarchitect.com]
[www.theacademicarchitect.com]