How verification works

Verification on GuestResearcher.com is a lightweight signal to help the community trust each other — not a background check. Knowing what it means keeps your expectations calibrated.

Login and verification are separate

• Sign in with whatever is convenient — Google or a personal email. Your login email can be anything.
• Then verify a separate eligible institutional email (.gov / .mil / .edu / approved research org) from your account to add a verification badge.
• Signing in directly with a verified eligible email verifies you automatically — no extra step.
• You never need two accounts: pick one way to sign in, then verify your institutional email there. One institutional email can be linked to only one account.
• Your institutional email is used only to confirm eligibility and is never shown publicly.

Your public profile is separate and optional

• You can add an optional public profile (a display name, a role, and — only if you choose — an affiliation label, hub, or general area) that shows on your listings.
• Only share what you're comfortable showing publicly. We never auto-fill your affiliation from your verified email, and your email is never displayed.
• Verification only controls the "Verified community member" badge — not what's shown on your profile.

What verification signals

• That a poster has confirmed a working email, and sometimes a research-community email domain.
• That an account is in good standing and not flagged for abuse.
• It helps the community recognize genuine researchers and lets eligible low-risk personal posts publish faster.

What it does NOT prove

• It does not verify identity, property ownership, immigration status, or that any specific listing is legitimate.
• A verified poster can still be mistaken — always do your own checks.

How it relates to listings

• Verified community members can publish eligible low-risk personal posts faster; commercial posts follow a separate review path.
• See the community vs. commercial guide for how the two are handled.

Trust the process, but verify the deal

• Tour in person or by live video before paying anything.
• Confirm the person controls the property or item.
• Keep payments traceable — see the scam-avoidance guide.

This explains how the site works; it isn't legal or immigration advice. Confirm official requirements with your host institution.