What about others' work that I've included in my own?
You may include others' work (quotes, images, etc.) in your own through the principle of fair use. Academic uses often fall under fair use, and there are excellent guides to fair use at the following sites:
Students at Hollins University may create works or inventions in the course of their studies, in the course of an academic collaboration with a faculty member, or in the course of employment by the university. Works and inventions created by a student in the course of his or her studies (as part of a class assignment, independent study, or otherwise), will ordinarily be treated as owned by the student, unless particular circumstances create rights in a third party. Works and inventions created in the course of an academic collaboration with a faculty member will be treated as if the student were a faculty member, and will be subject to the same rights and conditions as described above in paragraph (1). A works or invention created by a student in the course of employment by the university will be treated as a “work for hire” (if copyrightable) or subject to assignment to the university (if an invention) and in both cases, shall be owned by Hollins University. All students agree to assign their ownership rights in such inventions or works created while employed by the university to Hollins University. Works and inventions that are created by students outside the course of their studies at Hollins or that are unrelated to their work at Hollins, or are subject to a specific prior written agreement with Hollins University, shall be owned by their creator or creators.
What should I do with my copyright?
Generally speaking, you want to retain your copyright ownership, if at all possible. Copyright ownership gives you the exclusive right to:
Reproduce/make copies.
Prepare derivative works based on the original work.
Distribute copies to the public by sale or another form of transfer.
Publicly perform the work.
Publicly display the work.
Perform sound recordings publicly through digital audio transmission.
What might a journal ask me to do with my copyright?
Most undergraduate journals allow you to keep your copyright; many professional journals ask you to give your copyright to them. Always be aware of what rights you are giving to your publisher, and ask if you are unsure. I've included a couple examples from undergrad research journals here:
“All authors retain copyright over their original work.”
Other journals may ask you to assign a Creative Commons license to your work. In this situation, you retain copyright, but you grant particular permissions for how others may use your work.
