Copyright and Your Dissertation/Thesis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) authors often realize late in the process that they may have copyright issues they need to address. Librarians are available to consult with you on a variety of topics. We can lay out the limits of copyright law and UC policy, and help you make informed decisions regarding:

• Using others' copyrighted works in your dissertation, including:
  • the limits of fair use
  • when you should seek permission
• Whether or not you need permission to reprint your previously published work
• The pros and cons of:
  • registering the copyright of your thesis
  • embargoing your work, to delay its appearance in ProQuest and eScholarship

You can get detailed instructions on formatting and filing your Thesis or Dissertation at the Graduate Division website.

Contact us today for individualized assistance on any copyright-related issues with your dissertation or thesis.

DIssertation to Book: Separating Truth from Fiction

Academic publishers discuss the process of tranforming your dissertation into a book they would publish

As the academic job market continues to constrict, new PhDs in the humanities, arts, and social sciences are more keenly aware than ever of the need to turn their dissertations into published books. At the same time, many campuses are now requiring PhD candidates to file their dissertations electronically, with full-text made available online through ProQuest's Digital Dissertations and Theses database and/or an institutional repository. Not surprisingly, graduate students are left wondering, “If I put my dissertation online, will it hurt my chances of publishing with a reputable press?”

UCLA Library hosted a panel discussion with acquisitions editors from respected academic presses to address questions regarding the relationship between electronic dissertations and scholarly publishing.