Copyright

When can I share an article?

If the article is available online through EKU Libraries' website...

You may use the article if you use a copyright compliant permalink (durable url link) to make the article available to students. If you need help with creating permalinks, please contact your library liaison.


If the article is available freely from a legitimate online website...

You may link to the article providing the host site has no restrictions. Unless explicitly authorized by the host site (look for language indicating a creative-commons license), you should not copy or download text, graphics or other information from a website for posting and/or distribution. 


If the article is available in print at the Library or via a faculty-owned copy...

Finding a similar work that EKU Libraries owns that would also illustrate the instructional point will release you from the need to seek permission. Contact your liaison librarian to check for an online or adequate substitute. EKU Libraries encourages you to utilize online resources that the library has paid for you to access.

Alternatively: 

If the article meets criteria for Fair Use, you may post a PDF. Always include a copyright statement as the first page of the document. In this instance, it is a recommended best practice to use only one article per journal issue.

 

What if I wrote the article?

In some cases, you (as the author) retain the rights to distribute copies of the published work to your students – but in many cases, authors give up that right during the publication process.

You can check your author transfer paperwork or, if you didn't keep it, you can consult SHERPA/RoMEO to determine publisher copyright and self-archiving policies. You cannot assume that you own the copyright to your published work.

When submitting an article to a journal, read the contract. You can to negotiate to retain distribution rights. Read more about this and get tools for this process at SPARC.

Contact your library liaison for assistance.