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Copyright Information & Resources

Your Thesis or Dissertation

Copyright - Theses and Dissertations
While writing your thesis or dissertation:
  • Images: If you use images, ensure that they are your own work or are in the public domain, under a Creative Commons license.  Otherwise, you must request permission from the copyright holder to use the image.
  • Charts and Graphs: If you plan to add charts or graphs from a book or journal article, please ensure that you have asked for permission.
Resources for Images:
  • Wikimedia Commons   a database of freely usable media files to which anyone can contribute
  • Free Images Free images is a high-quality resource of digital stock photography for use by all. All images in our collection are free to use on websites, printed materials and anywhere you need photos for illustration and design use.
  • Google Advanced Image Search Use the Advanced Image Search to limit to free-to-use images. Under Usage Rights, use the drop-down menu to select free to use or share.
  • Shared Shelf Commons A  free, open-access library of images. Search and browse collections with tools to zoom, print, export, and share images.
  • CC Search
  • Flickr Creative Commons  Browse through photographs with a variety of Creative Commons licence types.
Submitting your thesis or dissertation:

When you are ready to submit your thesis or dissertation, you will follow this procedure or a procedure specific to your Faculty - check with your Graduate Coordinator. You will sign a licence that allows the University to archive your thesis or dissertation in the University's Knowledge Commons repository and to distribute your thesis to third-parties such as Libraries and Archives Canada and ProQuest.

You retain copyright of your thesis or dissertation; however, it will be available online to the public and you can link to it directly in your C.V. or personal website.

Attending a Conference?

Presenting a paper at a Conference

If you are presenting at a conference, please ensure that you are aware of who owns the copyright of your paper or poster.

Find out if you can you publish your paper in another journal.

Publishing in a Journal? Some things to consider

Publishing an Article

Do you own the rights to your journal article?

Do you retain the right to publish your article on Social Media or other sites?

Please remember to save the postprint of your article.