Publisher Policies for Theses
[Updated: 02 Aug 2024]
Major Academic Publishers* and Standard Policies Related to Academic Theses
*Individual journal policies might vary; see individual journal author guidelines for more details. See Jisc's Open policy finder (formerly Sherpa Services, which included Sherpa Romeo) for links to journal websites or contact the journal editor / manager.
On this page:
- Does the publisher allow authors to include their published articles in their theses?
(pre-thesis submission activity) - Does the publisher accept manuscripts previously made available in a thesis?
(post-thesis submission activity)
Does the publisher allow authors to include their published articles in their theses?
(pre-thesis submission activity)
The information provided below was retrieved from the publisher's website on the date indicated.
Yes. There are two related entries on the Elsevier FAQ page, shown below.
Elsevier Permissions Guidelines FAQ says [emphasis added]:
Can I include/use my article in my thesis/dissertation?
Yes. Authors can include their articles in full or in part in a thesis or dissertation for non-commercial purposes.
AND
Can I use material from my Elsevier journal article within my thesis/dissertation?
As an Elsevier journal author, you have the right to include the article in a thesis or dissertation (provided that this is not to be published commercially) whether in full or in part, subject to proper acknowledgment; see the Copyright page for more information. No written permission from Elsevier is necessary.
This right extends to the posting of your thesis to your university’s repository provided that if you include the published journal article, it is embedded in your thesis and not separately downloadable.
If published as a subscription article, Elsevier Article Sharing says [clarification added]:
Theses and dissertations which contain embedded PJAs [published journal article] as part of the formal submission can be posted publicly by the awarding institution with DOI links back to the formal publications on ScienceDirect.
Yes, with conditions.
Understanding Copyright for Journal Authors says:
As is the case for open access publishing, when publishing in a subscription journal, the author (or copyright owner of the article, if different) signs an author publishing agreement. The agreement incorporates the necessary transfer of copyright. After assigning copyright, you will still retain the right to:
- Include the article in your thesis or dissertation
- Post the Author’s Original Manuscript (AOM)/Accepted Manuscript (AM) on a departmental, personal website or institutional repositories depending on embargo period. To find the embargo period for any Taylor & Francis journal, please use the Open Access Cost Finder.
Taylor & Francis Author Services: Sharing versions of journal articles says:
Embargoes usually apply if you are posting the AM [Accepted Manuscript] to an institutional or subject repository, or to a scholarly collaboration network such as ResearchGate. (Embargo periods for all our journals are listed in the Open Access Cost Finder.)
Yes, with conditions.
Wiley: How to Clear Permissions for a Thesis or Dissertation says:
Do I need to request permission to use my own work as my dissertation?
If you are the author of a published Wiley article, you have the right to reuse the full text of your published article as part of your thesis or dissertation. In this situation, you do not need to request permission from Wiley for this use.
Yes, with conditions, usually.
The standard policy is that, upon publication of the article, authors can reuse their article without permission provided that they cite the original material. However, in some cases there are certain factors which need to be considered on an article by article basis. Authors should contact the journal editor or publisher liaison before including their articles in a thesis. (Information obtained via email correspondence in September 2020.)
Note that Springer Nature has partnered with Copyright Clearance Center's RightsLink service to offer a variety of options for reusing this content.
Springer: Frequently asked questions says [emphasis added]:
Can I share my electronic offprint with others?
The eOffprint [typeset published version] is for personal use only and shall not be self-archived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website.
You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later, provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication, and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website.
The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at http://link.springer.com”.
Yes, for most journals.
Regarding original submissions and accepted manuscripts, SAGE’s Author Archiving and Re-Use Guidelines says:
You may share the Original Submission or Accepted Manuscript at any time after your paper is accepted and in any format. Your sharing of the Original Submission or Accepted Manuscript may include posting a downloadable copy on any website, saving a copy in any repository or network, sharing a copy through any social media channel, and distributing print or electronic copies. Please note some journals will not consider papers that have been posted as preprints prior to submission and you may check a journal’s policy regarding considering previously-posted papers by referring to the journal’s submission guidelines.
Regarding the final published version, SAGE’s Author Archiving and Re-Use Guidelines says:
You may use the Final Published PDF (or Original Submission or Accepted Manuscript, if preferred) in the following ways:
[...]
- in your dissertation or thesis, including where the dissertation or thesis will be posted in any electronic Institutional Repository or database
Provided that:
[...]
- You may not post the Final Published PDF on any unrestricted website or repository without permission from SAGE.
[...]
- The journal as the original publication of your Contribution is appropriately credited by including the full citation information each time your Contribution, or excerpts, are further distributed or re-used:
- After your Contribution has been accepted for publication and until it is assigned a DOI, please include a statement that your Contribution has been accepted for publication in the journal.
- Once full citation information for your Contribution is available, please include this with your posted Contribution, in a format similar to the following: Author(s), Contribution Title, Journal Title (Journal Volume Number and Issue Number) pp. xx-xx. Copyright © [year] (Copyright Holder). DOI: [DOI number].
Yes, with attribution.
Nature Portfolio’s Permissions requests says:
Author reuse
Authors have the right to reuse their article’s Version of Record, in whole or in part, in their own thesis. Additionally, they may reproduce and make available their thesis, including Springer Nature content, as required by their awarding academic institution.
Authors must properly cite the published article in their thesis according to current citation standards.
Material from: 'AUTHOR, TITLE, JOURNAL TITLE, published [YEAR], [publisher - as it appears on our copyright page]'
If you are [in] any doubt about whether your intended re-use is covered, please contact journalpermissions@springernature.com for confirmation.
Yes, with citation and some conditions. But the final published version may not be posted online.
Author Centre for IEEEJournals, IEEE Conferences, and IEEE Magazines all say:
Can I Reuse My Published Article in My Thesis?
You may reuse your published article in your thesis or dissertation without requesting permission, provided that you fulfill the following requirements depending on which aspects of the article you wish to reuse.
- Text excerpts: Provide the full citation of the original published article followed by the IEEE copyright line: © 20XX IEEE. If you are reusing a substantial portion of your article and you are not the senior author, obtain the senior author’s approval before reusing the text.
- Graphics and tables: The IEEE copyright line (© 20XX IEEE) should appear with each reprinted graphic and table.
- Full text article: Include the following copyright notice in the references: “© 20XX IEEE. Reprinted, with permission, from [full citation of original published article].”
“In reference to IEEE copyrighted material which is used with permission in this thesis, the IEEE does not endorse any of [name of university or educational entity]’s products or services. Internal or personal use of this material is permitted. If interested in reprinting/republishing IEEE copyrighted material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution, please go to http://www.ieee.org/publications_standards/publications/rights/rights_link.html to learn how to obtain a License from RightsLink. If applicable, University Microfilms and/or ProQuest Library, or the Archives of Canada may supply single copies of the dissertation.”
Only the accepted version of your article, not the final published version, may be posted online in your thesis.
Does the publisher accept manuscripts previously made available in a thesis?
(post-thesis submission activity)
The information provided below was retrieved from the publisher's website on the date indicated.
Yes, for most journals.
Elsevier Ethical Publishing Policies & Guidelines says [emphasis added]:
Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication: An author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Elsevier does not view the following uses of a work as prior publication: publication in the form of an abstract; publication as an academic thesis; publication as an electronic preprint. Note: some society-owned titles and journals that operate double-blind review have different policies on prior publication. Information on prior publication is included within each Elsevier journal’s guide for authors.
Yes, with attribution.
Yes, as long as the journal editor is made aware (during the submission process) that the paper is derived from their dissertation. (Information obtained via personal email correspondence July 2021.)
Taylor & Francis actively encourages graduate students to publish their thesis work, as evidenced by advice articles like Extracting a journal article from your thesis and Turning your PhD into a successful book.
Yes.
Wiley: Best Practice Guidelines on Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics says [emphasis added]:
The following types of “prior publication” do not present cause for concerns about duplicate or redundant publication (see also the information in these guidelines on preprints):
- Abstracts and posters presented as part of conference proceedings.
- Results presented at meetings (for example, to inform investigators or participants about findings).
- Results in databases and clinical trials registries (data without interpretation, discussion, context or conclusions in the form of tables and text to describe data/information).
- Dissertations and theses in university archives.
Yes.
Springer: Frequently asked questions says:
Can I submit my manuscript if it contains part of my PhD or academic thesis?
Springer will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis including those that have been made publicly available according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification.
Yes, for most journals, as long as it’s disclosed.
SAGE’s Prior Publication Policy says:
SAGE follows the COPE Guidelines in addressing potential Redundant Publication. To avoid the need for corrective action after publication, please disclose any prior publication or distribution of your manuscript to the Editor when submitting your manuscript to the journal [...] If a substantial portion of your manuscript has been previously published, your manuscript will generally not be acceptable for publication in a SAGE journal. However, subject to each journal’s policy, there are certain circumstances where material that has been publicly distributed may be considered for publication. You should first review the ‘Instructions to Authors’ for the journal you are interested in submitting to (found on the journal’s website at journals.sagepub.com) to review that journal’s policy. You should also include a description of any prior distribution of any part of your manuscript when submitting your manuscript to the journal and within the manuscript itself.
Following are examples of prior distribution that may be acceptable:
[...]
Most dissertations and theses posted in institutional archives
Excerpts or material from your dissertation that have not been through peer review will generally be eligible for publication. However, if the excerpt from the dissertation included in your manuscript is the same or substantially the same as any previously published work, the editor may determine that it is not suitable for publication in the journal.
Yes, as long as it’s disclosed.
Nature Portfolio journals' policy on duplicate publication says [emphasis added]:
Authors submitting a contribution to a Nature Portfolio journal who have related material under consideration or in press elsewhere should upload a clearly marked copy at the time of submission, and draw the editors' attention to it in their cover letter. Authors must disclose any such information while their contributions are under consideration by a Nature Portfolio journal [...]
Nature Portfolio will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis which has been published according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification. [...]
In case of any doubt, authors should seek advice from the editor handling their contribution.
Yes, as long as the new submission contains new content, and prior thesis publication disclosed. Check specific journals for more detailed & individualized policies.
IEEE Journals Submission and Peer Review Policies says:
1.1 Prior publication
The guidelines recognize that it is common in technical publishing for material to be presented at various stages of its evolution. As one example, this can take the form of publishing early ideas in a workshop, more developed work in a conference, and fully developed contributions as journal or transactions articles. This publication process is an important means of scientific communication. The editor of a publication may choose to re-publish existing material for a variety of reasons, including promoting wider distribution and serving readers by aggregating special material in a single publication. This practice continues to be recognized and accepted by the IEEE. At the same time, the IEEE requires that this evolutionary process be fully referenced by the author.
Authors submitting articles must disclose whether there are prior publications, e.g. conference articles, by the authors that are similar, whether published or submitted. They must also include information that very clearly states how the new submission differs from the previously published work(s). Such articles should be cited in the submitted article.
Clarification about versions
Many publishers make distinctions between the versions of the work, and have different reuse policies depending on the version you intend to use. Although terminology varies between publishers, it’s common to find references to these 3 versions:
- Original manuscript: the version authors submit.
- Accepted manuscript: after peer review, when the content has been revised and accepted for publication by the journal editor, but before formatting.
- Published version: final published version, after formatting, copyediting, typesetting, layout, etc.
Resources
Thesis Content and Article Publishing, MIT Libraries
Copyright on Campus: Theses & Dissertations, University of Florida's George A. Smathers Libraries
Jisc's Open policy finder (formerly Sherpa Services, which included Sherpa Romeo), an online resource that aggregates publisher open access policies on a journal-by-journal basis
If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact Copyright Office staff at copyright@ualberta.ca.
This information was originally compiled in a document prepared for copyright literacy sessions for graduate students.
This work is licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License.