Research Guides: Open Access: Health Sciences Resources: Author Rights & Responsibilities

Author Rights

It's important for authors to understand that they can retain their rights to materials that they create. There are a number of resources available for authors on this topic. A selection is available below.

Creative Commons
"Our free, easy-to-use copyright licenses provide a simple, standardized way to give the public permission to share and use your creative work — on conditions of your choice. CC licenses let you easily change your copyright terms from the default of “all rights reserved” to “some rights reserved.”

Creative Commons licenses are not an alternative to copyright. They work alongside copyright and enable you to modify your copyright terms to best suit your needs. "
Creative Commons License Chooser
This tool helps authors, artists, etc. figure out with Creative Commons license to use.
How open is it? (SPARC)
This resource outlines the core components of open access (e.g., reader rights, reuse rights, copyrights, author posting rights, etc.) across the continuum from “open access” to “restricted access”.
Authors Rights - Resources for Authors (SPARC)
Resources include the following:
*Author Rights: Using the SPARC Author Addendum to secure your rights as the author of a journal article
*Open Doors and Open Minds: What faculty authors can do to ensure open access to their work through their institution
*Greater Reach For Your Research: Expanding Readership Through Digital Repositories
*SPARC Author Addendum to Publication Agreement
*An Introduction to Copyright Resources for Authors
*Campus & Regional Initiatives for Author Rights
*Alternative Publishing Options for Authors
*How They Work (discusses digital repositories)
Scholar's Copyright Addendum Engine
The Scholar's Copyright Addendum Engine will help you generate a PDF form that you can attach to a journal publisher's copyright agreement to ensure that you retain certain rights.
Author Rights: Using the SPARC Author Addendum to secure your rights as the author of a journal article Guide to Author Rights/SPARC Author Addendum
(PDF)
SHERPA-RoMEO
Database of the copyright policies of the publishers of scientific journals.

White House OA Mandate

Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research

Author Responsibilities

Public Access requirements from select grant funding agencies and organizations are listed below. In addition, view funding mandates, requirements and guidelines for data management and sharing available on our Data Management planning guide.

· National Institutes of Health (NIH) Public Access Mandate, effective April 7, 2008

This U.S. law requires all NIH funded researchers to submit or have submitted for them an electronic copy of their final peer-reviewed manuscript to PubMed Central (PMC), the digital repository maintained by the National Library of Medicine. The manuscript will be made publicly available no later than 12 months after the official date of publication.

View our NIH Public Access Policy guide for more information.

· National Science Foundation (NSF) Data Management Plan Requirements, effective January 18, 2011

"Investigators are expected to share with other researchers, at no more than incremental cost and within a reasonable time, the primary data, samples, physical collections and other supporting materials created or gathered in the course of work under NSF grants. Grantees are expected to encourage and facilitate such sharing."

"Proposals submitted to NSF must include a supplementary document of no more than two pages labeled 'Data Management Plan'. This supplementary document should describe how the proposal will conform to NSF policy on the dissemination and sharing of research results."

A FAQ on data management and more information on specific data management plan requirements by NSF Directorate is available.

· Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), effective January 1, 2008

Research Policies: Public Access to Publications (SC-320)

Purpose and Scope:This policy establishes the Institute’s expectations relating to public accessibility of publicationsresulting from research in Institute laboratories. This policy applies to allInstitute laboratoryheads (i.e., Investigators and, at Janelia Farm Research Campus, Group Leaders and Fellows).

View the HHMI Policy.