Terms of Service

OralHistory.app — Operated by Align Kaizen Publishing LLC
Effective: March 2026  |  Last updated: March 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account or using the OralHistory.app platform ("Platform"), you agree to these Terms of Service. If you are using the Platform on behalf of an institution or organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization to these terms.

2. Description of Service

OralHistory.app provides a research-grade platform for oral history capture, consent management, IRB protocol tracking, thematic analysis, and institutional publication. The Platform is operated by Align Kaizen Publishing LLC.

3. Eligibility and Accounts

• You must be 18 years or older to create an account
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials
• You must provide accurate information during registration
• One person may not maintain multiple accounts without prior written consent

4. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Platform only for lawful oral history research, archival, and publication purposes. You agree not to:

• Use the Platform to store or transmit data you do not have rights to collect
• Circumvent or undermine consent management or narrator privacy protections built into the Platform
• Use narrator data for purposes beyond those consented to by the narrator
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to other teams' data
• Use the Platform in any way that violates applicable law, including research ethics regulations

5. Research Ethics and IRB Compliance

The Platform provides tools to support IRB compliance, but you are solely responsible for ensuring that your research activities comply with all applicable ethical standards, IRB requirements, and institutional policies. OralHistory.app does not provide legal or ethical advice and does not certify IRB compliance on your behalf.

6. Narrator Consent and Researcher Obligations

By using the consent management features, you affirm that you are collecting and recording narrator consent in accordance with applicable ethical standards. The blockchain anchoring feature provides technological evidence of your consent records but does not substitute for legally valid consent processes appropriate to your jurisdiction and IRB protocol.

7. Your Content and Data

You retain ownership of all research data, recordings, transcripts, and content you create or upload. You grant OralHistory.app a limited license to store, process, and display your content solely for the purpose of providing the Platform services. We do not claim ownership of your research data.

8. Subscription and Billing

Pricing and billing terms will be provided at the time subscription billing is activated. During the current early access period, access to the Platform is provided without charge. We will provide at least 30 days' notice before any billing begins.

9. Service Availability

We strive to maintain Platform availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We may perform maintenance or make changes to the Platform at any time. We will provide reasonable notice for planned downtime where practicable.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, OralHistory.app and Align Kaizen Publishing LLC shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of research data, arising from your use of the Platform.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. We will notify registered users of material changes by email. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States, without regard to conflict of law provisions. Any disputes shall be resolved through good-faith negotiation before any formal proceeding.