Theses and dissertations

Before you begin

Before you even begin your thesis, you need to consider copyright and the copyright implications of your work.  As a thesis writer you will create copyright and you will almost certainly rely on the copyright of others. Here are some of the ways copyright needs to be considered when you write a thesis:

• you own copyright in your original work unless you enter into an agreement with a funding body or publisher which changes this
• you may need to consider the terms or conditions of any grant, scholarship or funding you obtain
• if you enter into colaborative agreement with an individual or organisation, copyright may need to be shared
• using the copyright of others may be subject to conditions, such as copying limits under Fair dealing for research or study
• if you want to include your thesis in an online repository such the University's institutional repository, or wish to publish your thesis, it may be that material that you were permitted to use for educational purposes as a student, now requires you to seek permission to use.
• the moral rights of others need to be considered
• all copyright of others needs to be properly referenced in your thesis.