Terms and conditions for the referral scheme

Terms agreed on 8/07/21

Please read these terms and conditions carefully. By taking part in this referral scheme (“the Referral Scheme”) you agree that you have read and accepted these terms and conditions. Failure to comply with these terms and conditions may result in disqualification from the Referral Scheme. In this document, “We” or “Us” is Springer Verlag London, 4 Crinan Street, London N1 9XW, UK. 

1. “You” refers to a Referee or Referrer of the Referral Scheme. A “Referee” is a user who has been invited to take part in user research by a friend or a family member, a colleague or someone at Springer Nature; and a “Referrer” is a user who has referred friends, family, or colleagues to take part in the Referral Scheme. 

2. This Referral Scheme is open to invited recipients aged 18 and over. The Referral Scheme is open to legal residents of the United Kingdom and countries worldwide. However, you cannot participate in the Referral Scheme if you are a resident of Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, Sudan or Syria, or where otherwise prohibited or restricted by law or regulation.

3. Participants enter the Referral Scheme by being referred by a Referrer; who has already participated in one of our research studies. 

Current participants can invite their colleagues, friends, and family to take part in the Referral Scheme by sharing invitations for our design research. The Referee can specify the name of the Referrer when signing up to the design research project. 

4. After participating in the Referral Scheme, the Referrer will be entitled to claim one of the following incentives: either (a) a prepaid credit card, (b) a charity donation; or a book coupon (“the Incentive”). We will determine the Incentive(s) available at our sole discretion. The Referrer will be entitled to claim their Incentive(s) after the Referee completes a research activity. 

The Referrer, will be eligible to receive £15 per Referee, which is different to the incentives offered after participating in a research activity. The maximum amount that can be received by the Referrer is £75 per research study. 

Only the Referrer will be eligible to claim an Incentive. A Referee will receive either (a) a prepaid credit card, (b) a charity donation; or a book coupon,  as a thank you for participating in the research activities which will be determined by Us at our sole discretion. 

5. You acknowledge and agree that, as the Referee, once you enter the Referral Scheme, you will be added to our database and will be invited to take part in future user research studies related to your field(s). You can unsubscribe at any time. It won’t affect any of your subscriptions with Springer Nature. Any details collected during participation in the Referral Scheme will be stored securely and deleted the earlier of: (i) after five (5) years of non-engagement; or (ii) until you tell us otherwise.

6. You agree that any information submitted as part of the Referral Scheme will be subject to and treated in a manner consistent with the Springer Nature Privacy Policy. By participating in the Referral Scheme, you are consenting to the use of your personal data by us for the purposes of the administration of the Referral Scheme.

7. Taking part in user research activities:
a. The Referee must take part in the scheduled research session and follow the instructions during the session in order for the Referrer to receive an Incentive. 

b. More information about how to participate in research session(s) and details on the Incentive can be located in our User Research Terms and Conditions. If for some reason the Referee or Springer Nature need to cancel the session, the Referer and the Referee will not receive an Incentive.

c. Springer Nature will endeavour to inform the Referee about any cancellations and rescheduling of the session(s), if possible within 24 hours prior to the session(s). If the Referee is more than 15 minutes late to a session, Springer Nature has the right to reschedule the session.

d. The Referee must be able to respect the following conditions during the research session(s) as per clause 7 of our Terms and Conditions.

8. Signing up to our database:

You must provide accurate contact details to sign up for our user research database. By providing your personal details such as your name, surname, email address, and information about your role and subject fields, you acknowledge that this will allow us to identify if you are eligible to take part in future user research. Springer Nature won’t contact you if your profile isn’t a reflection of our user community. 

When making a referral, you must only refer users that are from the scientific community in which our digital products or services are relevant. Springer Nature will not accept a referral if the proposed Referee isn’t reflecting our customer database. Incentives are not applicable in such situations. 

We won’t share your data with any third parties.

9. The Referee 

- can only be referred once 

- can’t be both the Referee and the Referrer 

- can’t use multiple email addresses for multiple entries to the Referral Scheme 

- shouldn’t be already part of our database 

10. The Referrer

- can refer a maximum of five (5) participants per study

- can refer a maximum of ten (10) participants per year 

- can’t be both the Referee and the Referrer 

- can’t use multiple email addresses for multiple entries to the Referral Scheme

- should ensure that the Referee has consented to take part in the Referral Scheme

- must not send referral emails to people they do not know

If you have any questions about the Referral Scheme terms and conditions, do not hesitate to contact us at uxresearch@springernature.com. 

These terms and conditions shall be governed by English law and the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction.