Terms of Use.

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Use ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you and the Laubscher Institute for Research ("the Institute", "we", "us", or "our"). By accessing our website at tlir.org.za, creating an account, or using any of our services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

If you are using our services on behalf of an organisation, you represent that you have the authority to bind that organisation to these Terms.

2. Use of the Website

Permitted use

You may access and use tlir.org.za for lawful, personal, and non-commercial purposes, including reading and downloading published research in accordance with the applicable licence terms.

Prohibited conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the website in any way that violates applicable South African or international law or regulation.
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the website, its systems, or its infrastructure.
• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to extract content in bulk without our written permission.
• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information through any form on the website.
• Engage in any conduct that could damage, disable, or impair the website or interfere with other users.
• Upload or transmit any content containing malware, viruses, or other harmful code.
• Reproduce or redistribute published research in violation of its stated licence terms.

3. Intellectual Property

The website design, layout, graphics, logos, and non-research content on tlir.org.za are the intellectual property of the Laubscher Institute for Research and are protected under South African copyright law. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from these materials without our prior written consent.

The Institute's name, logo, and branding are protected marks. Use of these marks in any context without written authorisation is prohibited.

4. Open Access & Licensing

Research published on tlir.org.za is made available under open access principles. Unless otherwise stated, published papers are made available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0), which permits sharing and adaptation provided appropriate credit is given.

Some works may carry different licence terms, which will be clearly stated on the relevant paper's page. It is your responsibility to check the applicable licence before reproducing or adapting any published research.

Open access to research does not extend to the website's design, interface, or proprietary software.

5. Researcher Accounts

If you create a researcher account on our platform, you are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.
• All activity that occurs under your account.
• Notifying us immediately of any unauthorised use of your account at info@tliresearch.org.za.
• Ensuring the information in your profile is accurate and up to date.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or submit research in bad faith.

6. Research Submissions

By submitting research to the Institute, you confirm that:

• The work is your original research or you have the necessary rights to submit it.
• The submission does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party.
• The work has not been published elsewhere and is not currently under review at another publication, unless explicitly disclosed.
• All co-authors have consented to the submission.
• Any human or animal research included complies with applicable ethical standards.

Submission of research does not guarantee publication. All submissions are subject to our editorial and peer review process. We reserve the right to decline, request revisions to, or retract any published work that does not meet our standards of integrity.

7. Disclaimers

The website and its content are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that the website will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components.

Research published on tlir.org.za represents the views of the respective authors and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the Laubscher Institute for Research. Published research should not be construed as professional advice — always consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your circumstances.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by South African law, the Laubscher Institute for Research shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of, or inability to use, the website or its content, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of the website shall not exceed the amount, if any, you paid to access a specific service.

9. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes arising from or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Republic of South Africa.

10. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. Changes will be effective upon posting to the website with an updated date. Your continued use of the website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms. We encourage you to review these Terms periodically.

11. Contact Us

For questions about these Terms, please contact:

• Email: info@tliresearch.org.za
• Phone: +27 83 243 3602
• Website: tlir.org.za
• Location: Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa