© Copyright & Licensing in KUHub Research
Depositing your work in KUHub Research requires careful attention to copyright and licensing. This section will guide you through understanding your rights as an author, what versions of your work you can legally share, and how to choose an appropriate license.
Who Holds the Copyright?
In academic publishing, copyright typically belongs to:
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The author, unless it has been transferred to a publisher via a publication agreement.
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The publisher, if a copyright transfer agreement was signed.
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The institution, in specific cases (e.g., commissioned reports or theses under specific agreements).
💡 Always check your publishing agreement before uploading your work.
If you are unsure, consult:
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The journal or publisher website
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Open Policy Finder — a searchable database of publisher policies on self-archiving
Which Version Can Be Deposited?
Publishers typically allow different versions of an article to be archived:
| Version | Description | Commonly Allowed for Repository Deposit? |
| Pre-print | Manuscript before peer-review | ✅ Usually allowed |
| Post-print / AAM | Author's Accepted Manuscript, peer-reviewed but not formatted | ✅ Often allowed with embargo |
|
Publisher’s version(VoR) |
Final formatted PDF by publisher |
⛔ Often restricted |
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🕒 Embargo Periods: Some publishers require a delay (e.g., 6 or 12 months) before you can deposit your post-print. You can set an embargo date in KUHub during submission.
Examples by Publisher
Here are a few common examples from well-known publishers:
| Publisher | Pre-print | Post-print (AAM) | Publisher PDF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elsevier | ✅ Yes | ✅ After embargo (usually 12 months) | ⛔ No |
| Springer | ✅ Yes | ✅ After embargo (6–12 months) | ⛔ No |
| Wiley | ✅ Yes | ✅ After embargo | ⛔ No |
| Taylor & Francis | ✅ Yes | ✅ After embargo | ⛔ No |
Choosing a License (Creative Commons)
If you retain copyright (e.g., in theses, datasets, or preprints), you may apply a Creative Commons license when uploading. This determines how others can use your work:
| License | You allow others to... | Commercial Use | Derivatives |
| CC BY | Share and adapt with credit | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| CC BY-SA | Share and adapt with credit, same license | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes, same license |
| CC BY-ND | Share only with credit | ✅ Yes | ⛔ No modifications |
| CC BY-NC | Share and adapt non-commercially | ⛔ No | ✅ Yes |
| CC BY-NC-ND | Share only with credit, non-commercially | ⛔ No | ⛔ No |
| CC0 | Waive all rights (public domain dedication) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
💬 If you're unsure which license to choose, contact the KU Open Access team at: openaccess@ku.edu.tr