Before your thesis or dissertation can be submitted to ProQuest/UMI, you will need to have secured permission to re-use any copyrighted material included in your thesis/dissertation if your use exceeds fair use guidelines (see Chapter 5 of the ETD Style Guide for more information). It is best to begin the permission-seeking process early, during the writing of your thesis/dissertation. You may use the permission letter when writing to copyright owners to request permission to use their work.

The sites under related links to the right provide information about copyright and fair use.

Students with additional questions about copyright and/or fair use can contact Chris Lewis (202-885-3257) in the AU Library.

At this stage, it is also a good idea to begin thinking about whether you will choose to register copyright for your own thesis or dissertation, and which of the available publishing options best suits your needs. Further information about copyright and publishing can be found in Chapter 5 of the ETD Style Guide and in the following documents:

• Open Access Compared to Traditional Publishing
• Delayed Release and Other Publishing Options