Chapter 4: Filing the Thesis: Academic Integrity Reminder,
Copyright, and On-campus Filing
Section 4.2 Copyright issues
Small amounts of most material (for example, findings from previous research, quotations and information from literary works, surveys and other test instruments) may be used in a thesis with the appropriate citation. Other copyright considerations:
- In some situations, the material you are using is copyrighted by corporate or individual authors. This would require that you seek permission to reproduce the material as part of your thesis. In such instances, it is your responsibility to contact the publisher for permission to use the work. You should include the written permission with your manuscript when you turn it in to the Graduate Office. Also, make sure that you cite copyrighted work as requested by the copyright holder. Consult with your advisor on this issue.
- Your thesis is automatically copyrighted, according to the federal Copyright Act of 1976. This means that you are not required to
attach the copyright symbol to your thesis to have copyright protection, although the best way to protect an unpublished work is to
include the notice. The unnumbered copyright page should follow the Title Page or Abstract in the manuscript. The copyright statement
should include the copyright symbol, your legal name, and the date of the acceptance of the thesis. For example:
Copyright © 2007 by Susan B. Jones
If you desire a public record of the copyright, you can register your thesis with the United States Copyright Office. A fee is required. For information about copyright law, registration and other important information, access the U.S. Copyright Office at http://www.copyright.gov/.