Our terms of use
A shared understanding of how we use RA Commons, care for one another, and protect the information entrusted to us.
Joining the community
Applications are open to current Research Associates and Research Assistants, including senior roles, and pre-docs worldwide. Declare your current role and confirm a code sent to an approved work domain to activate membership automatically. If you cannot use an approved work inbox, a steward must review and approve your application. A confirmed login email alone never grants membership. A matching confirmed work domain lets you join your institution’s private room automatically once two verified colleagues belong to the Commons; other room requests need review. Give accurate information about your role, and do not impersonate another person or share your account.
Information you must not share
Sharing any organization’s secret, private or confidential information or documents is not allowed anywhere on RA Commons, including private rooms, messages and Global Commons. This includes internal files, restricted findings, financial or personnel records, credentials, and identifiable research participant data. Share general lessons and resources that are already public instead. Room-admin approval never overrides this rule.
An independent community
RA Commons and its organization rooms are independent of employers. They are not official workplace channels and do not speak for any organization. Membership does not authorize you to disclose information entrusted to you by an employer, colleague, or research participant.
Your contributions and their audience
Only share content you have permission to share, and respect other people’s privacy. Global Commons posts are visible to approved global members; private room posts are visible to approved room members. Sharing a separate draft from a room to Global Commons requires room-admin approval. That approval does not authorize sharing confidential information. Members can copy or screenshot content, and authorized platform administrators may access stored content. New chats labelled “End-to-end encrypted” are encrypted on participating devices. Earlier message history is not end-to-end encrypted. Read the privacy practices before posting.
Care and accountability
Follow the community guidelines. Harassment, discrimination, threats, impersonation, spam, and retaliation are not allowed. Use mentions thoughtfully; repeated unwanted tagging is harassment. Do not use a handle to impersonate another person or a steward. Report concerns without adding sensitive information. Authorized reviewers may hide content or pause access after review. Contact a community steward about a decision or appeal. This community is not an emergency service, confidential whistleblowing system, or official workplace grievance channel.
Questions and changes
Write to [email protected] about membership, privacy, or an appeal. These terms may change as the community develops. Review them periodically and raise questions before sharing information you are unsure about.