Terms of Service — Researchers

Last updated: 28 April 2026 · Effective date: 28 April 2026

1. Definitions

• "Platform" — the Imbazo web application, APIs, and associated services
• "Researcher" — a person or entity using the Platform to recruit research participants
• "Participant" — a person registered in the Imbazo panel who may take part in studies
• "Study" — a research activity posted by a Researcher on the Platform
• "We / Us / Imbazo" — the operator of the Platform

2. Account Registration

1. You must provide accurate and complete registration information.
2. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials.
3. You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into binding agreements.
4. One account per researcher or institution. Multi-user institutional accounts may be arranged by contacting us.

3. Acceptable Use

You agree to use Imbazo only for legitimate research purposes. You must NOT:

• Post studies that are deceptive, fraudulent, or designed to harm participants
• Collect data for purposes not disclosed to participants
• Re-identify or attempt to re-identify anonymised participant data
• Share participant personal information with third parties not disclosed in the study
• Use the platform for commercial marketing, sales, or recruitment (non-research)
• Circumvent platform controls or scrape participant data
• Post studies targeting vulnerable populations (minors, prisoners, pregnant women) without enhanced ethical approval
• Violate any applicable law including POPIA, the Zimbabwe Data Protection Act, or your local research ethics requirements

4. Ethics & IRB Requirements

1. Imbazo strongly recommends institutional review board (IRB) or research ethics committee (REC) approval for all studies.
2. Studies involving sensitive topics (health, politics, sexuality, trauma, financial data) require IRB/REC approval. Studies submitted without it will be rejected.
3. You are solely responsible for ensuring your research complies with all applicable ethical guidelines and regulations in your jurisdiction.
4. Imbazo reviews studies for basic ethical compliance but does not replace your institutional ethics process.

5. Data Processing Obligations

1. When you access participant data through a study, you act as a data controller for the responses you collect.
2. Imbazo acts as a data processor for participant matching and communication.
3. You must have a lawful basis (typically participant consent) for processing responses.
4. You must not retain participant personal information longer than necessary for your stated research purpose.
5. For studies collecting special personal information (health, political opinions, biometrics), you must comply with POPIA Sections 26–33.
6. You agree to sign our Data Processing Agreement upon request.

6. Payment Terms

1. Wallet system: You fund a prepaid wallet before launching studies.
2. Study budget: Total cost = sample_size × pay_per_response × (1 + platform_fee).
3. Platform fees: Academic researchers: 30%. Commercial/NGO/independent: 40%.
4. Minimum pay: $1.00 USD per response (ensuring fair participant compensation).
5. Holds: When you launch a study, the total budget is held from your wallet. Unused funds (unmatched slots) are released when the study is completed or cancelled.
6. Refunds: For studies cancelled before any participant completes, held funds are fully released to your wallet. Partial completions are non-refundable.
7. Currency: All amounts are in USD. Currency conversion for local payouts is handled by us.

7. Participant Interaction

1. You may not contact participants directly outside the Imbazo platform unless participants explicitly opt in within the study context.
2. All initial communications go through our WhatsApp bot.
3. Survey URLs you provide must be functional, safe, and accurately described.
4. You must not include malware, phishing links, or deceptive redirects in your survey URL.

8. Intellectual Property

1. You retain ownership of your study design, survey content, and collected responses.
2. Imbazo retains rights to the platform software, algorithms, and aggregate (non-PII) panel statistics.
3. You grant Imbazo a limited licence to display your study title and description for matching purposes.

9. Liability Limitations

1. Imbazo provides the platform "as is" without warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
2. We do not guarantee a minimum number of participant responses, response quality, or completion rates.
3. Our total liability to you is limited to the amount you have paid to Imbazo in the 12 months preceding the claim.
4. We are not liable for losses arising from: participant non-response, survey tool failures (Qualtrics, Google Forms), or payment processing delays by third-party providers.
5. You agree to indemnify Imbazo against claims arising from your use of the platform, including claims by participants or regulators related to your studies.

10. Suspension & Termination

1. We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms.
2. You may close your account at any time. Active studies must be completed or cancelled first.
3. On termination, wallet balances (less any outstanding obligations) are refundable within 30 days.
4. Study data and responses you have already exported remain yours. We delete your account data per our Privacy Policy.

11. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Disputes will be resolved in the courts of [jurisdiction to be confirmed].

12. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms with 14 days' notice via email. Continued use after the notice period constitutes acceptance.

13. Contact

For questions about these Terms: legal@imbazoca.com