Author rights
Author rights, copyright and licensing
A journal decision is not only about acceptance. It also affects who owns the article, how it may be reused, where it can be archived, and whether it satisfies funder or institutional requirements.
Maintained by the Beallslists.com editorial review team · Last reviewed: June 19, 2026
What to check before signing
Read the publication agreement before payment or final approval. A trustworthy journal should clearly state whether authors keep copyright, transfer copyright, publish under a Creative Commons license, or grant the publisher an exclusive license.
- The copyright owner is clearly stated.
- The reuse license is named, preferably with a link to the license text.
- Repository deposit and self-archiving rules are explained.
- The agreement matches the journal’s open access claims.
- Correction, retraction, withdrawal, and article removal policies are visible.
Warning signs in agreements
Be cautious if the journal asks for copyright transfer before review, gives no license information, claims open access but restricts reuse completely, or provides a vague agreement from a different company name than the publisher shown on the journal website.
Why funders and universities care
Many funders and institutions require specific open access, repository, licensing, or preservation conditions. Publishing in a journal with unclear rights can create problems later when an author needs to deposit the article, reuse figures, share teaching materials, or comply with grant rules.
Questions authors should ask
- Can I share the accepted manuscript or published article in a repository?
- Which license applies to the final article?
- Can others reuse figures, tables, or data?
- What happens if the journal website disappears?
- Does the publisher participate in long-term archiving or preservation?
Useful external references
Use these public resources alongside your institution’s own publication policy and the current evidence for the specific journal or publisher you are checking.