Acceptance
By accessing or using brightfieldresearch.com (the "Site"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these terms, you should not use the Site. These terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access the Site or its published content, whether directly through the Site or through any content reproduced or distributed from the Site.
These Terms of Use apply to the public content published on brightfieldresearch.com. They govern how that content may be accessed, used, shared, and referenced. They do not govern the internal editorial processes of Brightfield Research, which are addressed separately in the Editorial Policy and the Disclosure Policy.
Permitted content use
Brightfield Research publishes research for the purpose of supporting better-informed decisions. The following uses of published content are permitted without requiring explicit permission from Brightfield Research:
Personal and professional research
You may read, download, and use Brightfield Research publications for personal research, professional evaluation, and internal decision-making. A professional using a Brightfield Research output to inform a vendor selection, market assessment, or business decision is using the content for its intended purpose and requires no additional permission to do so.
Citations with attribution
You may cite Brightfield Research publications in your own written work, presentations, reports, and publications, provided that the citation includes the name "Brightfield Research," the title of the specific publication cited, the URL of the publication, and the date you accessed it. Where the citation is to a specific conclusion or finding, that conclusion or finding should be quoted accurately and not paraphrased in a way that changes its meaning.
Attribution is required for all citations. Representing Brightfield Research findings as your own analysis, or omitting attribution in a context where a reader might reasonably attribute the finding to you rather than to Brightfield Research, is not a permitted use of the content.
Sharing links
You may share links to Brightfield Research publications on any platform, in any medium, with any audience. Sharing a link is encouraged and requires no permission. The link should point to the published URL on brightfieldresearch.com rather than to a copy or reproduction of the content on another platform.
Prohibited use
The following uses of Brightfield Research content are not permitted without prior written permission from the editorial team:
Reproducing substantial portions without permission
You may not reproduce substantial portions of any Brightfield Research publication on another website, in a commercial publication, in a product or service offering, or in any other form that makes the content available as if it were your own or your organization's content. Brief quotations with attribution for purposes of commentary, criticism, and education are permitted under fair use and equivalent doctrines. Reproduction of full research outputs, entire sections, or substantial extracts that substitute for visiting the original publication is not permitted without written permission.
Requests for reproduction permission should be directed to [email protected]. Brightfield Research responds to reproduction requests within 14 calendar days.
Implying endorsement not stated
You may not represent that Brightfield Research has endorsed, certified, approved, or recommended your organization, your products, your services, or your conclusions in any way that Brightfield Research has not explicitly stated in a published output. Describing your organization as "covered by Brightfield Research" when that coverage is critical or neutral, using Brightfield Research's name in a context that implies a positive assessment that does not exist in the published research, or suggesting a formal partnership with Brightfield Research that does not exist are examples of prohibited use.
Removing source attributions
You may not reproduce or distribute Brightfield Research content in any form that removes or obscures source attributions, publication dates, correction notes, or editorial disclosures that are part of the original published content. If you reproduce a Brightfield Research output with an outdated correction status, a removed limitations section, or a stripped disclosure, you are presenting a misleading version of the original research.
Research limitations
Brightfield Research publishes its research for informational purposes. Research outputs are not professional advice of any kind, including legal advice, financial advice, investment advice, or professional consulting services. Decisions made on the basis of Brightfield Research publications are made by the decision-maker using the research, not by Brightfield Research.
Based on publicly available information
Brightfield Research produces research based primarily on publicly available information, submitted evidence, and independent analysis. Research outputs reflect the information available to the editorial team at the time of publication. They do not reflect information that was not publicly available, not submitted for review, or not otherwise accessible through the editorial team's research process.
A subject's actual capabilities, performance, or characteristics may differ from what is documented in publicly available sources. Brightfield Research does not conduct site visits, product testing, or client interviews as standard components of its research process unless documented as part of a specific research initiative's methodology. Conclusions are limited to what publicly available evidence supports, and this limitation is stated in every published output.
Information at time of publication
Market categories, organizations, products, and services change. Brightfield Research publications are accurate as of their publication date. Information that was accurate at the time of publication may become inaccurate as circumstances change. Readers are responsible for verifying that a Brightfield Research publication is current for their intended use. The publication date and last-reviewed date shown on each output are the relevant reference points.
Where circumstances have changed materially since publication and Brightfield Research has not yet updated a published output, readers who are aware of the change are encouraged to submit the information through the corrections process so that the editorial team can review and update the published output.
Submissions
When you submit content to Brightfield Research through any pathway — including correction submissions, evidence submissions, reviewer applications, or general editorial correspondence — you grant Brightfield Research a non-exclusive license to review, retain, and use the submitted content for the purposes of editorial review, research production, and publication, consistent with the source notes and disclosure policies described in the Editorial Policy.
The grant of this license does not transfer ownership of the submitted content to Brightfield Research, does not entitle Brightfield Research to use the submitted content for commercial purposes outside the editorial context, and does not waive any intellectual property rights you hold in the submitted content. You retain ownership of content you submit.
By submitting content, you warrant that the content is accurate to the best of your knowledge, that you have the right to submit it, and that submitting it does not violate any third-party rights or confidentiality obligations. Brightfield Research does not accept submissions that the submitter knows to be false, that consist of confidential information the submitter is not authorized to disclose, or that are intended to manipulate the editorial process rather than to contribute to its accuracy.
Brightfield Research retains editorial discretion over all submissions. Submitting content does not create an obligation to publish, include, or act on that content. The editorial team reviews submissions and determines what, if any, editorial action to take based on the evidence quality, relevance, and the standards described in the Editorial Policy.
Intellectual property
The site design, layout, visual elements, and structural elements of brightfieldresearch.com are owned by Brightfield Research and may not be reproduced without permission. The research publications, editorial content, methodology documentation, and written materials published on brightfieldresearch.com are owned by Brightfield Research subject to fair use and equivalent doctrines that permit quotation with attribution.
The name "Brightfield Research" and the publication's identifying marks are the property of Brightfield Research. Use of these identifiers in a context that implies endorsement, partnership, or affiliation not documented in a published output is not permitted.
Disclaimer of warranties
Brightfield Research publishes its research to the best of its editorial ability, using documented methodology and evidence standards described in the Editorial Policy. The publication does not, however, warrant that its research is complete, error-free, or suitable for any particular purpose.
The Site and its content are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. Brightfield Research makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of any content on the Site. Brightfield Research does not warrant that the Site will be available without interruption, that errors will be corrected, or that the Site or its servers are free of harmful components.
Nothing in this disclaimer limits Brightfield Research's commitment to its editorial standards or its corrections policy. The disclaimer addresses the legal standard applicable to the content, not the editorial commitment to producing accurate, evidence-based research. Where errors are identified, they are corrected through the corrections process described in the Editorial Policy.
Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Brightfield Research shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or exemplary damages arising from your use of the Site or its content, including but not limited to: decisions made based on published research that prove to be incorrect or incomplete; commercial losses arising from reliance on research findings; reputational harm claimed by subjects of published research; or inability to access the Site or its content.
Brightfield Research's research outputs are informational. They are designed to improve the quality of evidence available to decision-makers, not to replace the judgment of those decision-makers. Decisions based on Brightfield Research publications remain the responsibility of the decision-maker.
Nothing in this limitation of liability limits Brightfield Research's liability for fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law.
Changes to terms
Brightfield Research may update these Terms of Use from time to time. When material changes are made, the effective date at the top of this page is updated. Continued use of the Site after a change to these terms constitutes acceptance of the revised terms, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Where affirmative acceptance is required for material changes under applicable law, Brightfield Research will implement appropriate mechanisms to obtain that acceptance.
Archived versions of these terms are not published by default, but are available on request from the editorial team. A reader who wishes to review a prior version of the terms as applicable at a specific date may request it by emailing [email protected].
Contact
Questions about these Terms of Use should be directed to [email protected]. Permission requests for reproduction of published content should include the specific content to be reproduced, the format and context of the intended reproduction, and the organization or individual requesting permission. Brightfield Research responds to permission requests within 14 calendar days.