1. Copyright Ownership

– Author Retention: Authors often retain copyright to their work while granting certain rights to the publisher or university. This can enhance authors’ control over the dissemination and use of their research.
– Institutional Ownership: In some cases, the university may hold the copyright, especially for works produced as part of employment. This is more common in commissioned works or certain collaborative projects.

2. Licensing Options

– Creative Commons Licenses: Many universities encourage or require the use of Creative Commons (CC) licenses, which allow authors to specify the terms under which others can use their work. Common licenses include:
– CC BY (Attribution): Allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the work, even commercially, as long as they credit the author for the original creation.
– CC BY-SA (Attribution-Share Alike): Similar to CC BY, but new creations must be licensed under the identical terms.
– CC BY-NC (Attribution-Non Commercial): Allows others to remix, adapt, and build upon the work non-commercially, with attribution.
– CC BY-ND (Attribution-No Derivs): Allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as it is passed along unchanged and in whole, with credit to the author.

3. Institutional Repository Policies

– Self-Archiving: Policies may require authors to deposit a version of their work in the university’s institutional repository, often under an open access license.
– Embargo Periods: Authors might be allowed to delay open access availability for a certain period post-publication, to comply with publisher policies.

4. Publication Agreements

– Rights Retention: Authors may be required to sign agreements that ensure they retain certain rights, such as the right to use their work in future research or teaching.
– Publisher Agreements: When publishing with external journals, universities may provide guidance on negotiating with publishers to retain key rights.

5. Usage and Reuse

– Permitted Uses: Policies should clearly outline what uses are permitted under the chosen licenses, such as reproduction, distribution, and creation of derivative works.
– Attribution Requirements: Specify how users should attribute the original authors and their affiliations.

6. Compliance with Funders’ Requirements

– Funder Mandates: Ensure that policies align with the open access and copyright requirements of major research funders, which often require specific licensing for funded research outputs.
– Public Access: Facilitate compliance with mandates that require research to be publicly accessible, often within a specific timeframe post-publication.

Example Policies

– Harvard University: Harvard’s open access policy allows authors to retain copyright and grants the university a non-exclusive license to distribute the articles. Authors can opt for a CC license when depositing their work in the institutional repository.
– MIT: MIT’s open access policy requires faculty to grant the university a non-exclusive license to their scholarly articles, ensuring open access through the institutional repository. Authors typically retain copyright and can choose a suitable Creative Commons license.

Implementing Licensing and Copyright Policies

1. Develop Clear Guidelines: Provide detailed guidelines on copyright and licensing options, ensuring authors understand their rights and obligations.
2. Provide Legal Support: Offer legal advice and support to help authors navigate copyright issues and publisher agreements.
3. Promote Awareness: Conduct workshops and training sessions to educate researchers about the importance of copyright, licensing, and open access.
4. Monitor Compliance: Establish mechanisms to monitor and enforce compliance with institutional and funder requirements.

Resources for Authors and Institutions

– Creative Commons (CC): Offers a range of licenses and tools to help authors and institutions manage copyright and licensing.
– SHERPA/RoMEO: Provides information on publishers’ policies regarding copyright and self-archiving.
– SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition): Provides resources and advocacy for open access, copyright, and licensing issues.

By implementing comprehensive copyright and licensing policies, universities can ensure that research outputs are managed effectively, promoting both the dissemination and the protection of scholarly work.