Terms and Conditions

Effective Date: February 6, 2026 | Last Updated: February 6, 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to The Methods Section ("we," "our," or "us"). These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of our website at www.methodssection.com (the "Site") and our newsletter services (collectively, the "Services").

By accessing or using our Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use our Services.

2. About Our Services

The Methods Section is a science literacy platform that provides:

  • Free articles on understanding scientific research and evidence
  • A free email newsletter
  • Paid subscription content, including Methods Analysis articles
  • Educational glossary and guides

Our mission is to help readers understand how scientific evidence is built, interpreted, and often oversimplified.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use our Services. By using our Services, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement.

If you are under 18 years old, you represent that you have obtained permission from your parent or legal guardian to use our Services.

4. Account Registration and Subscriptions

4.1 Free Subscriptions

You may subscribe to our free newsletter by providing your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any newsletter email.

4.2 Paid Subscriptions

Certain content, including Methods Analysis articles, requires a paid subscription. When you purchase a paid subscription:

  • You agree to pay the subscription fees displayed at the time of purchase
  • Subscriptions automatically renew unless you cancel before the renewal date
  • Payment is processed securely through Stripe, our third-party payment processor
  • All fees are non-refundable except as required by law or as described in Section 5

4.3 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

We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your account information.

5. Payment Terms, Billing, and Cancellations

5.1 Subscription Fees

  • Subscription fees are charged in advance on a monthly or annual basis, depending on the plan you select
  • All fees are stated in U.S. dollars
  • We reserve the right to change subscription fees with at least 30 days' notice
  • Price changes will not affect your current subscription period

5.2 Automatic Renewal

  • Paid subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each subscription period
  • Your payment method will be charged automatically unless you cancel before the renewal date
  • You will receive an email reminder before your subscription renews

5.3 Cancelation

  • You may cancel your paid subscription at any time through your account settings
  • Cancellations take effect at the end of your current billing period
  • You will retain access to paid content until the end of your current billing period
  • We do not provide refunds for partial subscription periods

5.4 Free Trial (If Applicable)

  • If we offer a free trial, you may cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged
  • If you do not cancel before the trial ends, your payment method will be charged the applicable subscription fee
  • Free trials are limited to one per user

5.5 Failed Payments

  • If a payment fails, we will attempt to process it again
  • If payment continues to fail, your subscription may be suspended or canceled
  • You are responsible for updating your payment information to avoid service interruption.

6. Intellectual Property Rights

6.1 Our Content

All content on The Methods Section, including but not limited to:

  • Articles, blog posts, and newsletters
  • Glossary entries and educational guides
  • Graphics, images, and visual designs
  • The Methods Section name and logo

...is owned by The Methods Section or our licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

6.2 Limited License to Use Our Content

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to:

  • Access and view our content for personal, non-commercial use
  • Share links to our articles on social media
  • Quote brief excerpts (up to 150 words) with proper attribution and a link back to the original article

6.3 Restrictions

You may not:

  • Reproduce, distribute, or republish our articles in full without written permission
  • Use our content for commercial purposes without authorization
  • Remove copyright notices, author attribution, or other proprietary markings
  • Scrape, crawl, or use automated tools to copy our content
  • Create derivative works based on our content without permission
  • Use our content in misleading or defamatory ways

6.4 Educational and Fair Use

We support fair use for educational purposes. Teachers, students, and educators may share excerpts of our content in academic settings with proper citation. If you have questions about permitted uses, contact us at hello@methodssection.com.

6.5 DMCA Compliance

If you believe content on our Site infringes your copyright, please contact us at hello@methodssection.com with:

  • Identification of the copyrighted work
  • Identification of the infringing material
  • Your contact information
  • A statement of good faith belief that the use is not authorized
  • A statement that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner

7. User Conduct

When using our Services, you agree not to:

  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations
  • Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation
  • Harass, threaten, or abuse others
  • Transmit viruses, malware, or other harmful code
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or other users' accounts
  • Use our Services for any fraudulent or unlawful purpose
  • Spam, send unsolicited communications, or engage in phishing
  • Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of our Services

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to our Services if you violate these Terms.

8. Health and Medical Disclaimer

8.1 Educational Purpose Only

The content on The Methods Section is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to:

  • Provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment
  • Replace consultation with qualified healthcare professionals
  • Recommend or endorse specific tests, products, procedures, or treatments

8.2 No Doctor-Patient Relationship

Using our Services does not create a doctor-patient or healthcare provider-patient relationship between you and The Methods Section, its authors, or contributors.

8.3 Always Consult Healthcare Professionals

You should always:

  • Consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any health decisions
  • Seek professional medical advice for any questions about medical conditions or treatments
  • Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you read on our Site

8.4 Accuracy of Information

While we strive to provide accurate, evidence-based information:

  • Scientific research is constantly evolving, and information may become outdated
  • We make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of our content
  • We are not responsible for any errors or omissions in our content

8.5 No Guarantees

We do not guarantee any specific health outcomes or results from reading or applying information from our content.

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, resources, or services (including but not limited to research articles, scientific journals, and external sources).

We do not:

  • Control or endorse third-party content
  • Guarantee the accuracy or availability of third-party resources
  • Assume responsibility for third-party practices or policies

Your use of third-party websites is at your own risk and subject to their terms and privacy policies.

10. Comments and User-Generated Content

If we enable comments or other user-generated content features in the future:

  • You retain ownership of content you submit
  • You grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, display, and distribute your content in connection with our Services
  • You represent that you have the right to submit the content and that it does not violate any laws or third-party rights
  • We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these Terms or that we deem inappropriate

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law:

11.1 No Warranties

Our Services are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

11.2 Limitation of Damages

We are not liable for:

  • Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
  • Loss of profits, revenue, data, or use
  • Business interruption or loss of business opportunities
  • Any damages arising from your use of or inability to use our Services

Our total liability to you for any claims arising from these Terms or your use of our Services shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months prior to the event giving rise to liability, or $100, whichever is greater.

11.3 Exceptions

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or limitation of liability for incidental or consequential damages. In such jurisdictions, our liability will be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless The Methods Section, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

  • Your use of our Services
  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights
  • Any content you submit or share through our Services

13. Termination

13.1 By You

You may stop using our Services at any time. You may cancel your paid subscription as described in Section 5.3.

13.2 By Us

We may suspend or terminate your access to our Services at any time, with or without notice, for:

  • Violation of these Terms
  • Fraudulent or illegal activity
  • Non-payment of subscription fees
  • Any other reason at our sole discretion

13.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

  • Your right to access paid content will immediately cease (unless you've paid through the end of a billing period)
  • Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination will remain in effect (including intellectual property rights, disclaimers, and limitation of liability)

14. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will:

  • Post the updated Terms on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
  • Notify you by email (for significant changes)
  • Provide reasonable notice before changes take effect (typically 30 days)

Your continued use of our Services after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

15. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

15.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

15.2 Dispute Resolution

Informal Resolution: Before filing any legal claim, you agree to first contact us at hello@methodssection.com to attempt to resolve the dispute informally.

Arbitration: Any disputes that cannot be resolved informally shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, conducted in San Diego County, California.

Exceptions: Either party may seek injunctive or equitable relief in court to protect intellectual property rights.

15.3 Class Action Waiver

You agree to resolve disputes with us only on an individual basis and waive any right to bring or participate in any class action, class arbitration, or representative action.

15.4 Jurisdiction

For any disputes not subject to arbitration, you agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in San Diego County, California.

16. Miscellaneous

16.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and The Methods Section regarding our Services.

16.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

16.3 No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that provision or any other provision.

16.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights under them without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction.

16.5 Force Majeure

We are not liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, terrorism, labor disputes, or internet service failures.

17. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us:

Email: hello@methodssection.com
Location: San Diego, California, United States

Thank you for reading and understanding these Terms. We're committed to providing valuable, evidence-based content and a positive user experience.