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Research, Writing and Publishing: Learn About Publishing

Types of Journals

There are 3 types of academic journals:

  • Subscription-based journals that generally charge readers a fee to access content
  • Open-access journals that are free to read, but may charge authors a publication fee
  • Hybrid journals which are subscription-based journals that have select articles freely available if the author pays an open access fee

For more information on finding a subscription-based or open-access journal that fits the scope of your research, view the Medical Library's guide to publishing your work:

Journal and Book Policies

Copyright Policies

As the author of a work you are automatically the copyright holder until you transfer the copyright to someone else. Some publishers require authors to transfer over all of their rights as part of the publishing agreement. Giving away your copyright may limit your ability to:

  • post a copy of the work on your personal website or institutional repository
  • distribute your work in class or share it with colleagues
  • build upon or use your article in future works without the publisher's permission

Before signing publishing agreements, review the terms carefully. Negotiate the terms of your agreement to retain the rights you want.

 

Images and Permissions

If you are using images and graphs in your work that were created by someone else, you will likely need to seek permission to reproduce them. Publishers place the responsibility of securing these permissions on the authors of newly submitted works. For more information on requesting permission, locating copyright holders, and examples of permissions letters, review the following guides:

 

Publication Contracts

After Publication

After your article is published, make sure you follow through with any funding or university agreements for distribution of your article. For example, at FSU, faculty must comply with the FSU Open Access Policy. Under this policy, faculty automatically grant FSU permission to upload a version of their article to the FSU Research Repository. Visit the links below for more information about this policy and the FSU Research Repository.

If your research was funded by a grant from a public or private organization, such as the National Institutes of Health or the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, you may be expected to comply with article and data sharing requirements.

For more information about promoting your work in venues such as networking sites, repositories, and blogs, check out the Medical Library’s guide on publishing and promoting your work. 

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