Terms of Use

Open Causal is an open registry for sharing, exploring, and reusing causal graphs in machine-readable formats, in line with FAIR principles.

Use of Open Causal, including uploading and accessing content, denotes agreement with the following terms.

Open Causal enables open scientific exchange. All content is made publicly available to support transparency, discussion, and reuse of causal assumptions. Content may be uploaded free of charge by researchers and other users.

The uploader is exclusively responsible for the content they upload and shall ensure that the content is suitable for open dissemination, complies with applicable laws including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), does not contain personal or sensitive data unless properly anonymised and lawfully shared, and does not infringe intellectual property or other rights.

By uploading content, the uploader grants Open Causal a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, display, distribute, and make the content publicly available, as well as to modify, adapt, and create derivative works including for format conversion, indexing, enrichment, and machine processing. This license also permits Open Causal to enable reuse, cloning, and redistribution by other users and third parties and to use the content for platform development, research, and improvement purposes.

This license continues even if the content is removed from the platform, to the extent necessary for maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record, including DOI persistence, backups, and indexing.

All content must be assigned an open license, such as those provided by Creative Commons, and users must comply with applicable license terms when reusing content.

Access to Open Causal and all content is provided on an “as-is” and “as-available” basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Open Causal disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to accuracy, completeness, reliability, scientific validity, fitness for a particular purpose, and availability or uninterrupted operation of the platform. Causal graphs represent assumptions and may be incomplete, incorrect, or misleading, and users are solely responsible for verifying and evaluating any content before relying on it.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Open Causal shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including but not limited to loss of data, research results, funding, or reputation, misuse or misinterpretation of content, or decisions or actions taken based on content.

Users are exclusively responsible for their use of the platform and its content and agree to indemnify and hold Open Causal harmless from any claims, damages, or liabilities arising from their uploaded content, their use or misuse of the platform, or violation of these Terms or applicable laws.

Hosting or assigning a DOI to content does not imply endorsement, validation, or verification by Open Causal.

Open Causal reserves the right, without notice and at its sole discretion, to remove, modify, or restrict access to content, suspend or terminate user access, and take any action necessary to protect the platform, its users, or compliance with law.

Unless specified otherwise, Open Causal metadata may be freely reused.

These Terms of Use may be updated at any time without notice. Continued use of the platform constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

If you are unsure whether your content or use complies with these Terms, please contact us.