Educate summarize copyright aspects of teaching and research; we do not provide legal advice.

Copyright is an important issue in teaching and research, particularly concerning how materials are used and shared. Jönköping University has an agreement with Bonus Copyright Access that governs the use of copyrighted materials within the realms of the university. It is essential that both teachers and students are aware of the rules to avoid violations, especially when publishing outside the academic context.

It is important to reflect on copyright

Why should one concern themselves with copyright? Understanding the rules is crucial, especially when considering the various contexts in which you might use a text, an image, share an article, distribute copies of books to students in your class, or oversee students writing theses, among other things. It’s vital to differentiate between what one does in their teaching role within the confines of the university and what is published and spread externally, such as a student thesis in DiVA, articles intended for journal publication, or reports and theses.

Read more: What does copyright mean External link, opens in new window.?


Copyright in teaching

An agreement exists between Jönköping University and the copyright organization known as Bonus Copyright Access. This agreement provides teachers and students with the privilege to reproduce and distribute, within certain limits, copyrighted material from Sweden and abroad. This can be done by distributing printed copies in class, or by scanning, uploading, and sharing the material via Canvas. However, the scope of the Bonus Copyright Access agreement is confined to the university premises. Any distribution outside this context, such as students publishing their theses on DiVA, falls outside the purview of this agreement.

Read more: Frequently asked questions about copyright for teachers External link, opens in new window.


Copyright and student theses

When guiding students in crafting their student theses, it’s crucial to educate them about the rules concerning the incorporation of images, extensive text extracts from other works, screenshots, and more. The fundamental principle is that they must always secure the consent of the original author to utilize the material they wish to incorporate. Different types of materials require different handling methods:

  • Visual elements (such as illustrations, photographs, tables, diagrams, etc.)
  • Screen shots
  • Social Media content
  • Quotations

Read more: Frequently asked questions about copyright for students External link, opens in new window.


Copyright and licentiate and doctoral dissertations

In the process of guiding PhD students through the creation of articles and the final thesis, you often encounter several elements that are characteristic of this setting:

  • Papers that are intended to be part of a comprehensive thesis.
  • Portions of the summary that consist of the PhD student’s own articles.
  • The distinction between the hardcopy and the electronic format of the thesis.

Read more: Can I republish my already published articles in my thesis External link, opens in new window.? and Can I include illustrations from my articles in the summary External link, opens in new window.?