Transparency, data and uploaded documents

This page explains, in plain language, what happens when you use Methods Guards AI: which documents are uploaded, which technical data may be recorded, how cookies and analytics work, and what the limits of automated analysis are.

1. Contact

For questions about the service, data use or the exercise of rights under applicable data-protection law, you can write to:

methodsguards@gmail.com

2. Categories of data processed

2.1 Documents uploaded by the user

Users may upload files, especially PDF documents, to receive a methodological analysis of their content.

Depending on the uploaded document, files may contain:

• scientific, academic or technical texts;
• bibliographic data;
• information about authors, organizations, universities, institutions or research groups;
• methodological, statistical, experimental or clinical descriptions;
• tables, figures, results, references and supplementary materials;
• personal data or confidential information included in the document.

Users should only upload documents they are entitled to use and should avoid uploading, unless strictly necessary, personal data, sensitive data, identifiable health data, confidential information, trade secrets or materials subject to confidentiality restrictions.

2.2 Technical usage data

To ensure operation, safety and stability, the service may collect technical information, including:

• date and time of requests;
• number of analyses performed;
• access codes used, if any;
• technical information related to service operation;
• logs needed to prevent abuse, malfunction, automated access or anomalous use.

These data are processed only to the extent necessary to provide, secure and maintain the service.

2.3 Access codes

The service may use codes that allow access to a limited number of ad-free analyses or to specific modes of use.

Unless otherwise stated, codes:

• are not personal;
• may be shared;
• are associated with a maximum number of uses;
• do not represent a purchase, subscription or permanent right to service provision;
• may be suspended, disabled or changed in cases of technical error, abuse, anomalous use or organizational need.

3. Purposes of processing

3.1 Performing the requested analysis

Uploaded documents are processed to generate the methodological analysis requested by the user.

The analysis may concern, for example:

• coherence between objectives, methods and conclusions;
• clarity of methodological design;
• adequacy of the description of sample, procedure and instruments;
• presence of controls, measures, inclusion or exclusion criteria;
• quality of statistical or interpretive description;
• explicit or implicit methodological limits;
• elements that may affect the overall robustness of the scientific product.

3.2 Technical operation

Data may be processed to enable:

• file upload and reading;
• automated content processing;
• generation of the requested output;
• management of errors or malfunctions;
• monitoring of platform stability;
• operational continuity of the service.

3.3 Security and abuse prevention

Some technical data may be used to:

• prevent unauthorized access;
• detect automated, excessive or abnormal use;
• prevent spam, scraping, overload or potentially harmful activity;
• verify compliance with usage limits;
• protect the technical integrity and availability of the service.

3.4 Service improvement

Within the limits of applicable law and according to proportionality and minimization criteria, technical data, generated outputs and information about service use may be used to improve:

• the reliability of analyses;
• the quality of outputs;
• technical stability;
• detection of recurring errors;
• security;
• the overall user experience.

Where possible, improvement activities are carried out using aggregated, anonymized or minimized data.

4. Legal basis

Where documents or technical data contain personal data, processing is carried out under the applicable legal bases provided by European data-protection law.

In particular, processing may be based on:

• performance of the service requested by the user;
• legitimate interest in ensuring security, abuse prevention, technical stability, maintenance and improvement;
• user consent, where required for specific non-essential functions.

Processing follows the principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency, data minimization, purpose limitation, storage limitation, integrity and confidentiality.

5. Retention of documents and data

Uploaded documents may be retained temporarily for the time necessary to:

• perform the requested analysis;
• ensure correct technical operation;
• manage errors, malfunctions or support requests;
• prevent abuse, improper use or automated access;
• improve system quality and reliability, within allowed limits.

Technical usage data and logs may be retained for the period necessary to pursue the purposes described above.

After the necessary period, data are deleted, anonymized or made no longer reasonably attributable to the user, unless further legal obligations or legal-defense needs apply.

6. Use of documents to improve the system

Uploaded documents are not sold, transferred, rented or distributed to third parties for independent commercial purposes.

Uploaded content may be used, within allowed limits, to improve the service, correct errors, verify analysis quality and make generated outputs more accurate.

Such use follows necessity, proportionality and minimization criteria, preferably through aggregated, anonymized or otherwise reduced data.

Users who do not want a document to be used for service-improvement purposes should avoid uploading confidential, non-anonymized or unnecessary information.

7. Technical providers and third-party services

To provide the service, Methods Guards AI may rely on external technical providers, including, for example:

• hosting services;
• cloud infrastructure;
• databases;
• security tools;
• technical monitoring systems;
• automated processing services;
• artificial-intelligence technology providers;
• advertising or traffic-analysis services, where present.

These providers may process data only to the extent necessary to provide, secure, maintain or improve the service.

The actual list of providers and processing methods depends on the technical architecture in use.

8. Transfers outside the European Economic Area

If the service relies on providers, infrastructure or subprocessors located outside the European Economic Area, data may be transferred to third countries.

In such cases, transfers should take place under applicable safeguards, such as adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses or other suitable mechanisms.

9. Advertising, analytics, cookies and similar technologies

The site uses basic technical functions required for navigation and proper page operation. These functions are not used for profiling purposes.

Google Analytics is loaded only after the user has given consent through the dedicated banner. Without consent, the Analytics tag is not loaded and browsing events are not sent to Google Analytics.

The user’s preference is stored in the browser through localStorage using the key matrella_cookie_consent_v1. The choice can be changed at any time through the “Cookie” button shown after the first decision.

At present, the site does not use advertising, remarketing or personalized profiling cookies. If additional tools are introduced in the future, this notice and the consent system should be updated before activation.

10. Donations and free nature of the service

Methods Guards AI is currently provided as a free service.

Donations are voluntary and do not constitute the purchase of a service, subscription, license, professional advice, credit right against the operator or guarantee of result.

At the discretion of the service, a donation may be associated with the assignment of a code that allows access to a limited number of ad-free analyses or to specific modes of use.

Unless otherwise stated, codes:

• are not personal;
• may be shared;
• have a maximum number of uses;
• do not grant permanent rights;
• may be changed, suspended or revoked in case of abuse, technical error, anomalous use or service-management needs.

11. User rights

Users may exercise the rights provided by applicable data-protection law, within the limits and conditions set by that law.

Requests must be relevant and refer to personal data actually processed by the service.

To exercise rights, contact: methodsguards@gmail.com

Users may also lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.

12. User responsibility for uploaded documents

Users are responsible for the documents, data and content they decide to upload.

Before uploading, users should verify:

• that they have the right to use the document;
• that upload does not violate third-party rights;
• that the document does not contain unnecessary confidential information;
• that personal or sensitive data have been removed, masked or anonymized where not indispensable;
• that the document may be submitted to automated processing.

Methods Guards AI does not normally require identifiable data, sensitive data or confidential information to perform a methodological analysis.

13. Limits of automated analysis

Methods Guards AI provides automated support for reading and methodologically assessing scientific documents.

Outputs generated by the service:

• may contain errors, omissions, inaccuracies or incomplete assessments;
• do not constitute a definitive scientific opinion;
• do not amount to peer review;
• do not replace human expert review;
• do not guarantee validity, reliability, quality, editorial acceptance or publishability of the analyzed document;
• must be critically checked by the user before any use.

The user remains fully responsible for interpreting, using and potentially disseminating the results obtained through the service.

14. Security

The service adopts reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect processed data against loss, unauthorized access, misuse, alteration or unauthorized disclosure.

However, no information system can guarantee absolute security. Users are therefore invited not to upload highly confidential information, unnecessary personal data, identifiable health data, trade secrets or materials they do not wish to submit to automated processing.

15. Changes to this page

This page may be updated over time to reflect technical, organizational, legal or functional changes to the service.

The updated version will be made available on this same page.

16. Contact

For questions about the service, data use or privacy rights:

methodsguards@gmail.com

Last updated: May 2026