Publications/Research

Original Work

Copyright attaches to any scholarly or other creative work as soon as its expression is fixed in a tangible medium (written on paper, saved as a computer file, recorded on film or audiotape, etc.). As a faculty or staff member, you generally retain ownership of the copyright in articles, teaching tools, artworks, software, or other copyrightable expressions that you create in the course of your work for the university. For complete details, see the WSU Policy and Procedures for Intellectual Property

When you submit your scholarly work for publication, the publisher may ask you to sign an agreement assigning copyright to the publisher. Read these agreements carefully, as you may sign away your own ability to make further use of your own work, either in classroom teaching or for the creation of derivative works. For advice on negotiating publishing agreements, see Reserving Rights of Use in Works Submitted for Publication on the IUPUI Copyright Management Center website.

Using Others' Copyrighted Materials

When making use of material created by others in scholarly or creative work, you must consider whether the use might infringe copyright. Begin by considering whether your use falls under Fair Use. If not, then you should either seek permission from the copyright holder, change the amount of the copyright material you plan to use, or find alternate material. For information on seeking permissions, see Copyright Basics - Permissions