Seshat Databank — User Agreement

1) Introduction

By using the Seshat Databank (“Seshat,” “we,” “us”), you (“User”) agree to this User Agreement. If you do not agree, do not create an account, download data, or use the API.

2) Scope & Definitions

• Public Data: Datasets released in connection with Seshat publications or curated public releases.
• Private Data: Work-in-progress datasets under review/cleaning or otherwise not publicly released.
• Download Formats: CSV and JSON files available from the website or programmatic endpoints.
• Current Terms: The active Terms & Conditions version shown on the site.

3) Access & Accounts

• Browse without an account: You may browse public pages without signing in.
• Account required to download: To download Public Data (CSV/JSON), you must create a free account and consent to the Current Terms.
• Google sign-in: If you sign in with Google (or any SSO), you must accept the Current Terms on your first logged-in visit before continuing.
• Existing users: If you have an account but have not accepted the Current Terms, you will be prompted to accept them before continuing (excluding the landing page and API).

4) Consent, Logging, and Re-consent

• Consent record: When you accept the Terms, we log the terms version, timestamp, IP address, and user agent for audit.
• One-time per version: You won’t be prompted again for the same version.
• When terms change: If we publish new terms, you’ll be prompted to accept the new version on your next visit before continuing (and before any download).

5) Data Categories & Restrictions

• Public Data: Can be viewed by anyone and downloaded by registered users who have accepted the Terms. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA).
• Private Data: May be visible in parts of the interface for transparency to collaborators but is not downloadable and must not be shared or published. You may submit feedback and sources via private comments where available.

6) License (Public Data)

Public Data is provided under CC BY-NC-SA: you may share and adapt for non-commercial purposes with attribution, a link to the license, and indication of changes. Commercial use is not permitted.

Required citation text in publications (example):

• This research used data from the Seshat Databank (https://seshat-db.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA) license.

Reference (example):

• Benam, M. et al. (2022). Seshat Data: Equinox Packaged Data (1.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6642229
  (For replication datasets tied to articles, see https://seshat-db.com/downloads_page/.)

7) API Access

• Agreement applies: Use of any programmatic endpoints constitutes acceptance of the Current Terms.
• Authentication: We may require API tokens and verified accounts; only users who have accepted the Current Terms will receive/retain access.
• Rate limits & suspension: We may limit, suspend, or revoke API access to protect the service or enforce this Agreement.

8) Prohibited Uses

• Share, publish, or redistribute Private Data.
• Use Public Data for commercial purposes.
• Remove or obscure attribution/license notices.
• Misrepresent Seshat data, or attempt to re-identify sensitive information contrary to ethical guidelines.

9) Accuracy & Feedback

Seshat strives for accuracy but provides data “as is.” We welcome corrections and sources via the private comment features where available.

10) Attribution

Whenever you use or refer to Seshat data (public or private), you must provide clear attribution as outlined in Section 6.

11) Changes to this Agreement

We may update these terms. Material changes will require re-consent on your next visit before you can continue or download.