When a manuscript you have authored is accepted for publication, you will most often be presented with an author agreement. Author agreements are not all the same, but many publishing agreements with traditional publishers transfer copyright to the publisher. Signing over your copyright can preclude you from sharing that work on Canvas and from submitting it to Digital Commons, Cal Poly’s institutional repository.

If you are interested in negotiating your rights or learning more about the copyright and publishing policies of publishers and journals, you may consult the resources below.