Before the contract, the client knows exactly what will happen and when. This page describes the path from the intake form to the final delivery, and the three commitments that uphold the entire relationship.
The form covers academic system, research field, project stage, type of support sought, deadline, working language, link to Scholar, Lattes, or ORCID, project description, and funding source. Aria acknowledges receipt immediately.
Aria responds with an initial assessment and a proposal built from the actual project — detailed scope, named deliverables, milestone schedule, and payment structure. No generic price tables, no off-the-shelf packages.
Once the proposal is accepted, a bilingual NDA in Portuguese and English is signed before any substantive material is exchanged. The services agreement follows, covering scope, timelines, full intellectual property retention by the client, and an ICMJE/CRediT acknowledgment clause where substantive writing is involved. Digital signature via Autentique or D4Sign.
A 40% to 50% non-refundable deposit, once cleared, releases the start of work. Weekly check-ins on a fixed day, partial deliverables at each milestone, and the final delivery submitted for client acceptance. The contract closes when the client accepts the complete package.
Every project operates under a bilateral NDA signed before any substantive material is exchanged. The agreement is drafted in Portuguese and English, remains in force for five years after project closure, and covers manuscripts, data, code, ideas, research questions, and the client's identity where anonymity is preferred. Manuscripts and data remain the full intellectual property of the client throughout. Aria does not publish a client list and does not use institutional logos as social proof.
Every contract involving substantive writing or rewriting includes a mandatory clause acknowledging Aria in the acknowledgments section of the published work, in line with the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the Contributor Roles Taxonomy. The clause is not optional. It reflects standard international editorial practice for substantive contributions — and it is what separates legitimate consulting from practice that compromises the integrity of the client's work before the venue.
Aria explicitly declines requests for ghostwriting, promises of editorial acceptance, timelines incompatible with methodological standards, projects outside the operation's technical expertise, and projects misaligned with the editorial policies of the target venues. Refusal is part of the service — it protects the client doing the right work from being mistaken for someone who isn't.
The method described above operates on every project. Tell Aria about yours through the qualification form — Aria responds within 48 hours with an initial assessment.
Request a quoteAfter the form is submitted, Aria responds within 48 business hours with an initial assessment and guidance on what comes next.
The form accommodates projects at any stage — from a research question in formulation to a complete manuscript awaiting submission. The detailed description comes later, in the initial call.
After the initial assessment, a 15 to 30 minute call by video conference aligns scope. No cost, no obligation to sign.