Publisher Agreement

This agreement governs the relationship between Renolva and publishers who apply to publish a journal on Renolva. It is accepted on the application form and applies once the application is approved.

1. Parties, Subject and Scope

1.1 This Publisher Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into between Peda Bilgi Teknolojileri Limited Şirketi (Peda Information Technologies Limited Company; Trade Registry No: 460-19 MAYIS, MERSIS No: 0723100178900001, Tax Office / Tax ID: 19 Mayıs Ballıca / 7231001789; address: İstiklal Mah. Cumhuriyet Cad. No: 290/8, İç Kapı No: 4, 19 Mayıs, Samsun 55420, Türkiye; registered e-mail (KEP): pedabilgi@hs01.kep.tr), the operator of the Renolva platform available at https://renolva.com ("Renolva"), and the natural or legal person who applies to publish a journal on Renolva and accepts this Agreement electronically (the "Publisher").

1.2 The subject of this Agreement is to set out the terms under which the Publisher publishes its journal using Renolva's journal management and publishing infrastructure, and the rights and obligations of the parties.

1.3 The Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy form an integral part of this Agreement. The Publisher and everyone using the platform on its behalf must also comply with them.

2. Definitions

2.1 "Platform": the Renolva website, editorial management system, publishing interfaces and all related software and services.

2.2 "Journal": the periodical the Publisher publishes or manages on the Platform, together with its title, logo, ISSN and similar identifying elements.

2.3 "Content": all articles, files, text, images, metadata, correspondence, reviews and other data uploaded, submitted or published on the Platform for the Journal.

2.4 "Authorized User": any person given an administrator, editor, reviewer or similar role in the Journal by the Publisher or through the Publisher's account.

2.5 "Publisher Account": the publisher record opened on the Platform for the Publisher and the user account defined as its owner.

3. Application, Approval and Authority

3.1 Submitting an application does not oblige Renolva to accept it. Renolva may accept, attach conditions to or reject any application at its sole discretion and without giving reasons.

3.2 The Agreement is formed when the Publisher accepts it on the application form; however, the right to use the Platform begins on the date Renolva approves the application. If the application is rejected, the Agreement ends automatically.

3.3 The person accepting this Agreement represents and warrants that they are authorized to bind the Publisher (including any institution, society, university, company or other legal entity on whose behalf they act). If this representation is untrue, the accepting person is jointly and severally liable with the Publisher for the obligations under this Agreement.

3.4 The Publisher warrants that all information it provides in the application and on the Platform (including the journal title, ISSN, publisher details, contact details and indexing information) is accurate, current and complete, and that it will update any changes without delay.

4. Platform Licence

4.1 Upon approval of the application, Renolva grants the Publisher a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable and revocable licence to use the Platform to manage and publish its Journal during the term of this Agreement and subject to its terms.

4.2 The Platform's software, source code, database structure, design, templates, domain names and the Renolva trademarks belong to Renolva. This Agreement grants the Publisher no rights in them other than those expressly stated in the licence.

4.3 The Publisher may not copy or reverse engineer the Platform, attempt to bypass its security measures, overload it with automated tools, or rent or resell the Platform to third parties.

4.4 To ensure fair use of the Platform, Renolva may set limits on storage, file size, email sending, number of users and similar resources, and may restrict usage that exceeds those limits.

5. Rights in the Journal and Content Licence

5.1 The Journal's title, logo, ISSN, publishing policies and all rights in the Journal belong to the Publisher. Rights in published works belong to the Publisher and/or the authors in accordance with the Journal's copyright and licensing policy. Renolva claims no ownership of the Journal or the Content.

5.2 The Publisher grants Renolva a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence for the term of this Agreement to host, store, back up, reproduce, convert the format of and display the Content, to use it in Platform features such as search, listings and researcher profiles, to send metadata to indexing and identifier services (e.g. Google Scholar, Crossref, ORCID), and to carry out any other processing needed to provide the Platform services.

5.3 This licence covers automated processing of the Content where Platform features are provided through third-party infrastructure and artificial intelligence services, keeping copies that remain in backups and archives after the Agreement ends until they are deleted, and records Renolva must keep for its legal obligations or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

5.4 The Publisher represents and warrants that it has obtained all necessary rights, permissions and author licences for any Content it uploads or allows to be uploaded to the Platform, and that the Content does not infringe any intellectual property, personality, privacy or other rights of third parties.

5.5 Renolva may use the Journal's title and logo in the Platform's journal listings and, as a reference, in promotional materials. The Publisher may object in writing to use in promotional materials.

6. Publisher Obligations and Editorial Responsibility

6.1 The Publisher is the legal publisher of the Journal. Renolva only provides the technical infrastructure and acts as a hosting provider under Turkish Law No. 5651; it is not the Journal's publisher, editor or content provider. The Publisher may not present Renolva as the Journal's publisher or as an organization that approves, supervises or endorses the Journal.

6.2 Editorial decisions, the peer review process, publication ethics (including the COPE principles), plagiarism checks, corrections and retractions, and the accuracy and lawfulness of the published Content are solely the Publisher's responsibility. Renolva has no obligation to pre-screen or monitor the Content.

6.3 The Publisher is responsible for selecting and authorizing its Authorized Users and for all their actions on the Platform as if they were its own. It keeps account credentials confidential and notifies Renolva immediately if it suspects unauthorized access.

6.4 The Publisher uses ISSN, DOI, indexing, impact factor and similar information truthfully; it may not claim indexing, accreditation or metrics it does not have, and may not make misleading promises about fees, fast publication or guaranteed acceptance.

6.5 The Publisher is solely responsible for all legal obligations relating to the Journal and the Content (including press, copyright, tax, data protection, consumer and commercial law) and for any fees it charges authors or readers.

6.6 Content previously published on another platform is transferred to the Platform only on a separate support request from the Publisher and at Renolva's discretion. Renolva does not guarantee that a transfer is complete. Checking the transferred content and keeping the original copies is the Publisher's responsibility.

7. Data Backups and Data Loss

7.1 Regularly backing up all data of the Journal (including articles, files, metadata, correspondence, reviews, user and issue information) and storing those backups securely is solely the Publisher's responsibility. The Publisher must regularly make its own backups using the download and export features the Platform provides.

7.2 Backups Renolva makes for its own operational needs are not a backup service provided to the Publisher. Renolva does not commit to their existence, frequency, completeness or restorability, and has no obligation to restore data from them for the Publisher.

7.3 Renolva is not liable for damage arising from loss, corruption or unavailability of data due to technical failure, security incidents, user error, actions of Authorized Users, problems at third-party service providers or any other cause, subject to the exception for intent and gross negligence in Section 16.4.

8. Personal Data Protection

8.1 For data of authors, reviewers, editors and readers processed in the Journal's editorial workflows, the Publisher is the data controller under Turkish Law No. 6698 (KVKK) and, where applicable, the GDPR. Renolva acts as a data processor on the Publisher's behalf for such data, and is separately a data controller for Platform account data as described in the Privacy Policy.

8.2 The Publisher is responsible for providing privacy notices, having the necessary legal bases and explicit consents, responding to data subject requests, and meeting all other statutory obligations, including those on transfers abroad.

8.3 The Publisher acknowledges that the Platform services may be provided through infrastructure, email, security and artificial intelligence service providers located in Türkiye or abroad, and that data may be processed by these providers for that purpose.

8.4 Renolva may use non-personal or anonymised data without time limit to improve the Platform, keep it secure and produce statistics.

9. Availability, Maintenance and Infrastructure Work

9.1 Renolva does not guarantee that the Platform will run uninterrupted or error-free, or any particular availability level.

9.2 Access to the Platform and the Journal may be partly or fully closed during maintenance, updates, version upgrades, server or infrastructure migrations, data transfers, security interventions, prevention of attacks or abuse, and similar work. Renolva tries to give advance notice where reasonable, but access may be closed without notice in urgent cases.

9.3 Renolva may change the Platform's features, interface, technical infrastructure and service providers at any time, and may add new features or remove existing ones.

9.4 The Publisher is not entitled to any compensation, refund or discount because of the interruptions and changes described in this section.

10. Publishing Policies and Prohibited Use

10.1 The Publisher may not publish, and may not allow its Authorized Users to publish, on the Platform:

10.2 content that is unlawful under the laws of the Republic of Türkiye or the law applicable to the Publisher; content that constitutes a crime, incites violence, hatred or discrimination, is obscene, defamatory or libellous, or violates personality rights;

10.3 research that infringes intellectual property or is plagiarised, fabricated or falsified; paper mill, citation manipulation, fake peer review or predatory publishing practices; publications impersonating another journal (hijacked journals);

10.4 malware, unsolicited bulk email (spam), search engine manipulation, or any use that impairs the security or performance of the Platform or the operation of other journals;

10.5 content and practices that may expose the Platform or Renolva to access blocking, administrative fines, investigations or lawsuits, or that may harm the reputation of the Platform, Renolva or the other journals on the Platform, their standing in indexes, or their relationships with service providers.

10.6 Renolva decides at its reasonable discretion whether any content or practice falls within this section.

11. Content Removal, Suspension and Licence Revocation

11.1 Renolva may, without prior notice, remove or disable access to the relevant Content, or partly or fully suspend the Journal or the Publisher Account, in the event of a breach of Section 10, a notice or complaint alleging unlawfulness, a court or administrative order, a security risk, or any other case where it considers this necessary to protect the Platform.

11.2 Renolva may revoke the Platform licence immediately and unilaterally if content in breach of Section 10 is published, if this Agreement is materially breached, or if a breach is not cured within a reasonable time after notice.

11.3 If no new content is published in the Journal for 24 months, or nobody signs in to the Publisher Account for 12 months, Renolva may, 30 days after notifying the Publisher, deactivate or archive the Journal or terminate the Agreement.

11.4 Renolva is not a party to authority or ownership disputes within the Publisher or between the Publisher and its editors. Renolva acts on the instructions of the user registered as owner of the Publisher Account, may freeze the Journal until the dispute is resolved or a competent court order is presented, and cannot be held liable for doing so.

11.5 The Publisher is not entitled to any compensation or refund because of measures taken under this section.

12. Term, Termination and Its Effects

12.1 The Agreement is for an indefinite term. The Publisher may terminate it at any time by written notice.

12.2 Renolva may terminate the Agreement without giving reasons by 30 days' prior notice, without prejudice to termination and licence revocation for cause under Section 11.

12.3 When the Agreement ends for any reason, the Platform licence ends and the Journal may be taken offline. If termination is not caused by the Publisher's breach, Renolva will make reasonable efforts, where technically possible and without assuming any obligation, to let the Publisher export its data within 30 days after termination. After that period the data may be deleted, subject to statutory retention obligations.

12.4 After termination Renolva has no obligation to redirect Journal addresses, update DOI links or continue hosting the content. Updating DOI records and links in indexes is the Publisher's responsibility.

12.5 Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (in particular Sections 5.3, 7, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21 and 22) remain in force after the Agreement ends.

13. Fees

13.1 The Platform services are subject to the pricing set by Renolva. Periods in which a service is offered free of charge do not mean that fees will not be charged in the future.

13.2 Renolva may set or change fees and the scope of paid services by giving at least 30 days' notice. A Publisher who does not accept the new fees may terminate the Agreement before they take effect; continuing to use the Platform after that date means accepting them.

13.3 Renolva may suspend the service if fees are not paid. Unless required by law, fees paid are non-refundable. Taxes, duties and bank charges are borne by the Publisher.

14. Third-Party Services

14.1 The Platform may work together with third-party services such as hosting, email, security, payment, DOI, indexing and artificial intelligence services. Renolva is not liable for interruptions, changes, discontinuation or errors of those services.

14.2 Unless agreed otherwise, membership of Crossref or similar organizations, the DOI prefix, fees payable to those organizations and the accuracy of the metadata sent to them are the Publisher's responsibility.

14.3 Renolva does not guarantee that the Journal will be accepted into any index, database or search engine, or that it will reach any level of citations, readership or traffic.

15. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Platform and all services are provided "as is" and "as available". To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Renolva gives no express or implied warranty, including as to fitness for a particular purpose, merchantability, freedom from errors, security or uninterrupted operation.

16. Limitation of Liability

16.1 Renolva is not liable for indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages, including loss of profit, revenue, data or reputation, business interruption or removal from indexes.

16.2 Renolva's total liability arising from this Agreement or the use of the Platform, on whatever legal basis, is limited to the total fees the Publisher actually paid Renolva in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the damage. If no fees were paid in that period, Renolva has no monetary liability.

16.3 Renolva is not liable for the actions of the Publisher, Authorized Users, authors, reviewers or third parties, or for the Content and editorial decisions.

16.4 The limitations in this section do not apply to liability that cannot be limited under applicable law, in particular liability for intent and gross negligence.

17. Indemnification

17.1 The Publisher agrees to defend Renolva, its employees and service providers against all third-party claims, lawsuits, administrative sanctions and access blocking measures arising from the Content, editorial decisions, actions of Authorized Users, processing of personal data, breach of this Agreement or the law, or any untrue representation by the Publisher, and to indemnify them on first demand for all resulting losses, damages, fines, reasonable attorney fees and litigation costs.

17.2 Renolva will notify the Publisher of any such claim and may choose to conduct or join the defence itself. The Publisher may not enter into any settlement or admission binding Renolva without Renolva's written consent.

18. Force Majeure

Renolva cannot be held liable for failure to perform its obligations because of natural disasters, epidemics, war, terrorism, cyber attacks, strikes, outages of energy or communication infrastructure, failures of service providers, decisions of public authorities or other events beyond its control.

19. Notices, Electronic Acceptance and Evidence

19.1 Notices to the Publisher may be given by email to the address registered in the Publisher Account or by announcement on the Platform, and are deemed given when sent. The Publisher sends notices to Renolva at support@renolva.com.

19.2 Electronic acceptance of this Agreement has the same legal effect as a contract signed by hand. Renolva records the date of acceptance, the Agreement version, the accepting account and the IP address.

19.3 The parties agree that in any dispute arising from this Agreement, Renolva's server logs, database records, email correspondence and other electronic records constitute conclusive evidence under Article 193 of the Turkish Code of Civil Procedure No. 6100.

20. Amendments

20.1 Renolva may amend this Agreement. Amendments are notified by email or on the Platform at least 15 days before they take effect. Amendments required by changes in law, court or administrative orders or security reasons may take effect immediately upon notice.

20.2 A Publisher who does not accept an amendment may terminate the Agreement before it takes effect. Continuing to use the Platform after that date means accepting the amendment.

21. Miscellaneous

21.1 The Publisher may not assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement without Renolva's written consent. Renolva may assign the Agreement in the event of a merger, acquisition, demerger, asset transfer or change of operator.

21.2 The parties are independent. This Agreement does not create a partnership, agency, joint venture or employment relationship between them.

21.3 Renolva's failure or delay in exercising a right does not mean it waives that right. If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid, the other provisions remain valid, and the invalid provision is deemed replaced by the valid provision closest to its purpose.

21.4 This Agreement, the Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy apply together; on matters relating to journal publishing this Agreement prevails. If there is a conflict or difference of interpretation between these documents or between provisions of this Agreement, the provision that more broadly protects Renolva's rights, discretion and limitations of liability applies, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

21.5 This Agreement is drawn up in Turkish and English. If the two texts differ, the Turkish text prevails.

22. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the Republic of Türkiye, without regard to conflict of laws rules. The courts and enforcement offices of Samsun have exclusive jurisdiction over all disputes arising from or relating to this Agreement.