Reprint Permission
Theses, dissertations, and DMA supporting documents (ETDS) are published works, therefore the material that is included must abide by US Copyright Law. It is common for a student to want to include material that was created by someone else in their ETD (such as images, photos, poems, lyrics.) It is the responsibility of the student to determine whether or not reprint permission letters are necessary to include such works in the ETD. Some material may be included because it is within the Public Domain, or because it falls within the Fair Use provision of the US Copyright Act.
Please use the following resources to determine whether a work you are including within your ETD falls within the Fair Use provision of the US Copyright Act or within the Public Domain:
Fair Use Resources
From UCOP: https://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/use/fair-use.html
From the UCSB Library: https://www.library.ucsb.edu/copyright-fair-use-basics
Public Domain Resources:
From UCOP: https://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/use/public-domain.html
If the material does not fall within fair use or the public domain, the student will need to obtain written permission to republish it (include it in their ETD).
Resources on how to obtain written permission:
From UCOP: https://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/use/obtaining-permission.html
Previously Published Works
If the student has previously published all or parts of their ETD in a journal, the student must check with the journal to find out if permission (in the form of a letter/email or inclusion of a specific citation) to reprint the material is required. This is a common question, so the student should be able to get the answer easily by contacting the journal. If the student is including material that was created by someone else (images, photos, poems, lyrics) reprint permission in writing (email or hard copy) may be necessary if the work is not open access or in the public domain.
UCSB Policy on Coauthorship, Previously Published Material, Copyright, and Acknowledgements (from the UCSB Graduate Council)
The thesis, dissertation, or equivalent (hereafter called the capstone) may include chapters or other segments that involve co-authored work, if allowed by the department and appropriate for the discipline. In cases of coauthorship, the student’s capstone committee’s approval will be taken as certification that the student’s individual contributions are sufficient for the capstone requirement. The acknowledgements or introductory portion of the capstone should clearly detail the role and contributions of the student in coauthored works.
Published, accepted, or in preparation for publication works are included in this policy. To the extent possible, graduate programs should offer guidance about the expectations for coauthorship or single authorship in formal policies. Whenever conflicts arise over collaborative authorships, Graduate Council urges the parties involved to resolve their conflict on the basis of professional ethics, integrity and fair play.
A capstone is expected to conform to appropriate copyright laws. If portions have already been published or presented in copyrighted form, the student must obtain the appropriate permissions from the copyright holder(s). Previously published material must be acknowledged appropriately, as established by a discipline or by the original publication agreement. Published material included in the capstone should be substantially the product of the student's period of study at UCSB; the student’s capstone committee’s approval will be taken as certification of this requirement. The acknowledgements portion of the capstone should include acknowledgement of funding sources.
Protecting Your Copyright
Per University policy, copyright ownership of theses or dissertations authored by University students resides with such students. The student may choose to include a copyright notice on the third page of the document. The student may also choose to register their copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office. This is optional and ProQuest will offer this as a service during the electronic filing process. Students may also register it themselves by visiting the U.S. Copyright Office website.
UCSB Publishing Agreement
UCSB dissemination options and policy on delaying release (embargo) of your thesis, dissertation or support document.
Delayed Release/Embargo of your Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD)
Students may choose to delay the release (embargo) of their ETD due to a pending patent, publication, or other reason. Students are urged to embargo an ETD only if it is absolutely necessary, as it is within the University’s mission to distribute knowledge to the public.
ProQuest (PQ publishing options) Students may choose any embargo period with ProQuest. A period longer than 2 years does not require additional approval. Students request the embargo during the e-filing process or by contacting ProQuest after the document has been delivered.
Institutional Repository (IR publishing options)
Students may choose to embargo their IR ETD for up to two years. Requests to embargo for longer than two years require approval from the Thesis/Dissertation Chair and the Dean of the Graduate Division (using the Dissertation/Thesis Delayed Release (Embargo) Request form). This form can be submitted during the e-filing process or later after the initial embargo period expires.