Can I include my articles in my thesis?

You may include your published articles in your thesis for conferral.  (However, if candidates include the publisher version of their article in their thesis for marking, they will generally need to substitute the accepted version of this article in their thesis for publication—see below.)

But when submitting your thesis with articles for publication on Griffith Research Online, you are permitting Griffith University to publish articles whose copyright will normally belong to the journal publishers. This should not be a problem if you follow the advice in this guide. If you don't get the required permissions to include your articles, then you must either redact your article/s from your thesis or put an embargo on the publication of your thesis until you obtain the permissions. You can request an embargo through thesisexams@griffith.edu.au.

Which version of my articles do I need?

Firstly, ask your supervisor which of the following versions you are to include in your thesis conferral:

  • Publisher’s version or version of record (the formatted article in the journal—typically in PDF format).
  • Postprint or accepted version (the version that has undergone the peer review process, that is the final version but without the publisher’s layout—typically in Word format).
  • Preprint version (any version prior to peer review—typically in Word format).

However, when publishing your thesis on Griffith Research Online most publishers (apart from open access publishers and Elsevier) do not permit the publication of the publisher's version in a thesis. If you have a publisher's version in your thesis for marking, you will generally need to substitute the postprint (or "accepted") version in your thesis for publication (in accordance with the embargos stipulated by the journal publishers—as advised below).

How can I get permission to include the version I want in my thesis for publication?

Take the steps listed below until you get permission.  Normally permission for the accepted version will include an embargo period of 12 months or even more before you may publish the postprint (or "accepted") version of your article in your thesis on Griffith Research Online (though some permissions may permit you to publish immediately).  Note that Griffith will publish your thesis 12 months after conferral (unless you request otherwise).  Please store your permission so it can be retrieved if required.

Some students take a proactive step to get permission.  Before signing their publication agreement, they hand write onto the agreement the following addendum: "By signing this document, parties agree that the accepted version of this article may be included in the author's thesis for publication on Griffith Research Online in accordance with Griffith University's policy." This addition to their agreement gives these students the permission they require.

How to get permission for the Postprint (or "accepted") version

Articles published by Elsevier, Sage or Springer

Elsevier and Sage permit the insertion of the accepted version of an article (immediately after publication) in an author's thesis for publication on Griffith Research Online.  So if your article is published with Elsevier or Sage , you don't need permission.

Springer too will permit you to publish your accepted version immediately in your thesis on Griffith Research Online. But you must formally get permission to do this through the "Reprints & Permissions" link.  (This you can find in the "About this Article" tab on the web page where you article is published.)

Articles not published with Elsevier, Sage or Springer

  1. Search using your journal title on the Sherpa Romeo website to find the embargo period for the postprint (or "accepted") version of your article on an Institutional Repository. Normally the embargo will be 12 months. As your thesis will be published on Griffith Research Online 12 months after conferral, a 12 month embargo will permit you to include your accepted version. If you need help, ask the Library.
  2. Alternatively, check your publisher's agreement or your publisher's "Journal Author Rights" on the internet. Some publisher's agreements or policies allow you to include the accepted version of your article in your thesis for publication on a University Repository website such as Griffith Research Online. Contact the Information Policy Officer if you need assistance in understanding your agreement.
  3. If none of the above work for you, adapt and send this permission email to include the accepted version in your thesis for publication on Griffith Research Online. Normally you will receive an email reply granting permission within a week.
  4. If, after sending the permission email, you don't receive the permission you require, seek advice from the Information Policy Officer.

How to get permission for the Publisher's version

  1. If your article is published with Elsevier, there is no need to get permission.  Elsevier permits the insertion of the publisher version of your article (immediately after publication) in your thesis for publication on Griffith Research Online.
  2. If you are not publishing with Elsevier, check your publisher's agreement or your publisher's "Journal Author Rights" on the internet. Some publisher's agreements or policies allow you to include the publisher's version of your article in your thesis for publication on a University Repository website such as Griffith Research Online. Contact the Information Policy Officer if you need assistance in understanding your agreement.
  3. If none of the above work for you, adapt and send this permission email to include the publisher's version in your thesis for publication on Griffith Research Online. You should normally receive a response within a week.
  4. If, after sending the permission email, you don't receive the permission you require, seek advice from the Information Policy Officer.

What if my thesis is complete, but one of my articles is not yet published in a journal?

There is no issue including articles that aren't yet published in your thesis for conferral only.

But when submitting your thesis for publication on Griffith Research Online, you are permitting Griffith to publish your article 12 months after your thesis has been conferred. Most journal publishers in their policies will not accept material that has previously been published. This is called the pre-publication rule.

However, as long as your articles are published in journals prior to your thesis being published by Griffith, there is generally no issue for two reasons.  Firstly, your thesis (containing versions of the articles) is published after the articles.  Secondly, your thesis will contain the pre-print versions of your journal articles (which were published after conferral), and almost all publishers permit the immediate publication of preprint article version in a thesis by a university once they have published the article in the journal.  (You can check regarding the publication of preprints by searching on the journal titles in Sherpa Romeo.)

By agreeing for your thesis to be published by Griffith 12 months after conferral, this normally provides you with sufficient time to publish your remaining articles in journals.  If about 10 months after conferral, any of your additional articles are still yet to be published, contact the Information Policy Officer.  The Information Policy Officer can organise an additional embargo on the publication of your thesis so you can comply with the pre-publication rule when publishing your remaining articles.

Need help?

Advice and support

The Information Policy Officer provides copyright advice and training across Griffith University for staff and students. Contact the Information Policy Officer by emailing copyright@griffith.edu.au or phoning (0)7 3735 5695.

  • Reading List Service digitises and makes readings available online for students through Learning@Griffith in a copyright compliant way.
  • The Library assists with supplying movies and TV material for teaching in a copyright compliant way.
  • Griffith Enterprise advises on ownership and development of potentially commercial copyright, inventions and other IP created by staff and students.

Common questions