Managing Your Copyright

Scholarly publishing is rapidly changing as new technological developments are made in the publishing industry. To expand the reach of research and maximize its value in this environment, many scholars are taking a more active role in managing their copyrights.

In support of these efforts, the UW-Madison Libraries want you to be aware of your rights as an author and can help you navigate and manage your copyrights.

Why It Matters for Authors

In many cases, when you publish in a journal or sign a book contract, the publisher will ask you to sign away some of your copyrights. These agreements can take away your right to share your work, reuse the material in future work, or submit your work to a public repository.

Many research funders require the products of the research to be made publicly available in some way.

Some studies have indicated that articles made publicly available online get greater reach and attention (Kousha, 2010 and Archambault, 2014)

When working with a publisher, taking an active role in managing your copyright will allow you to retain the rights you need to do your work and provide others with the rights to reuse your work in ways you wish.

Need Assistance Managing Your Copyright?

• Take advantage of the libraries’ Open Access & Author Rights Support Service
• Copyright FAQ
• Contact the libraries’ Head of Scholarly Communication Carrie Nelson
• See Copyright Basics for more information