Program
policies
We’ve summarized the eligibility requirements and conditions on this page. Be sure to review the full terms and conditions before you apply for the Researcher Program.
Who can apply?
To be considered for the program, applicants must:
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Be a student, research-focused staff, or faculty member affiliated with an accredited, higher-education institution that can grant degrees.
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Have a clear research goal, and intend to publish their findings. Research cannot be made available for commercial sale.
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Be free from any affiliation with Alphabet or Google (e.g. not working as an intern, temp, vendor, or consultant).
Program conditions
To participate in the program, applicants must review and agree to the policies outlined below.
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General requirements
Selected researchers must agree to the Researcher Program Terms of Service, along with the general YouTube Terms of Service — the existing API Services Terms of Service, and all applicable data security and privacy requirements.
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YouTube’s role
We built this program for researchers and are always looking for feedback to improve it. In addition, the program supports researcher independence. You are solely responsible for your research and publications and YouTube won't have editorial discretion or input in either. In addition, YouTube won't own any IP related to your research, publications, or any research outcomes, recommendations, or next steps.
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Publication of findings
In the interest of peer review, public scrutiny, and comment, researchers must agree to make their findings publicly available. In addition, after findings are published, researchers will provide YouTube with free access to and use of all research based upon YouTube data.