There are several important copyright considerations to keep in mind regarding your thesis or dissertation. This guide introduces the key concepts and includes links to help you learn more. It is highly recommended that you read the following guide as soon as possible during your research and writing process:
Read: Copyright in Your Thesis or Dissertation
Managing your rights
Using copyrighted material
What is fair use? Fair use is a limitation on the copyright holder's exclusive rights and provides that some uses of copyrighted materials do not infringe copyright. You can evaluate whether fair use may apply to your situation through the analysis and application of the four fair use factors.
Is my use a fair use? You may be able to rely on fair use when reproducing copyrighted material in your thesis or dissertation, but you cannot assume that all such uses are automatically fair use. You must conduct a fair use analysis for each individual use of copyrighted material in your thesis or dissertation.
Use the following resources to learn about fair use and conducting a fair use analysis:
What is NOT fair use? Fair use depends on a fact-specific evaluation of all four factors. There is no single criterion that automatically determines whether or not a particular use is fair use. However, some criteria that may significantly weaken your argument for fair use of copyrighted material in your thesis or dissertation are:
You may choose to address weaknesses in your fair use argument by making changes to your use, such as using a smaller amount of the copyrighted material. You may also choose to seek permission for your use of the material, to reference the material without reproducing it, or to seek an alternative to the material you originally considered using.
You need to request permission to reproduce third party material in your thesis or dissertation under the following circumstances:
The permissions process can take a significant amount of time. Do not wait until the last minute! Consider whether you will need permission to reproduce the material(s) you want to use in your manuscript, and give yourself sufficient time to locate and contact the copyright owner(s).
Contact Copyright Services for assistance:
Call: 614-688-5849
Email: libcopyright@osu.edu
Website: go.osu.edu/copyright
Visit: Copyright Services
Thompson Library, Suite 350
1858 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
Request a copy of a thesis or dissertation not available in full-text using our interlibrary loan service. Questions may be directed to the Interlibrary Services staff.
Citation Help (OSU Libraries)
American Psychological Association (APA) citation style (Purdue OWL)
Council of Science Editors (CSE) citation style (OSU Libraries)