Navigating Copyright in Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Graduate students completing an electronic thesis or dissertation (ETD) may encounter issues related to copyright, either their own or that held by others, at several points throughout the creation and submission of their ETD. Since ETDs are often hosted in an institutional repository or other online collection hosted by the library, library personnel involved in the process must be aware of these points of failure and understand the nuances of copyright with regard to reuse of materials, their institution’s policies governing student scholarship, and the policies of their institutional repository or online collection. This poster will review the relevant literature related to copyright and ETDs, outline the major junctures where librarians may contribute to copyright education for graduate students (and others), and offer suggestions for librarians seeking to engage with graduate students completing their ETDs.