Research Guides: Open Access Publishing: Author Rights / Copyright

What happens to my copyrights for my own published work?

Every publisher has different policies in regards to self-archiving and your subsequent use of your published work. The SHERPA/RoMEO database provides a searchable collection of publisher policies--check here when deciding where to publish.

Copyright Basics

Copyright Basics
Developed by the US Copyright Office this handout covers basic information about copyright.
Teaching Copyright
A fun curriculum designed to teach students about coyright.
Copyright Term and Public Domain in the United States
A resource to help you gauge whether a work is considered in the public domain in the United States.

Know Your Rights

Preserving Your Rights as an Author
This page provides different scenarios of copyright options for authors who are working with publishers.
Scholars Copyright Addendum Engine
A resource to generate PDF form that you can attach to a journal publisher's copyright agreement to ensure that you retain certain rights
SPARC Author Addendum
A legal instrument that modifies the publisher’s agreement and allows you to keep key rights to your articles

Still Have Questions?

If you're unsure about copyright, either your own rights or permissions to use someone else's work, learn more at our Copyright Guide.

Creative Commons Licenses

When choosing a license for your scholarly work, creative commons licenses can be used to provide users the ability to use and repurpose your work, while still protecting some of your rights as an author. This guide provides a thorough overview of the different creative commons licenses available to authors.