Help 'Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)'

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Use of figures

I am writing a (review) article for an IOP journal. Do I need to obtain permission for reproducing figures taken from prior publications?
Yes, the use of all material that has been published previously must be approved by the Publisher in each case and, depending on the Publisher’s policy, the author as well, before it can be used in any IOP article (whether a normal paper or a review article). This assumes that the Publisher owns the rights but you should check to see if there is a citation next to the figure indicating that copyright is in fact owned by a third party. If that is the case then that third party’s permission should be sought. The permission request form can be customised for use when making such requests and all responses should be submitted to the IOP journal, along with the article.
Note that IOP is a signatory to the STM 2003 Permissions Guidelines. This is an agreement between Publishers which allows signatory Publishers to use small numbers of figures and small amounts of text in journal articles free of charge. If the Publisher who owns the copyright in the figure you wish to use is also a signatory, permission should be given free of charge provided the conditions in the Guidelines are complied with. IOP is also a signatory to the STM Scholarly Publisher Guidelines for Quotation & Other Academic Uses of Excerpts from Journal Articles 2008 which covers the re-use of small amounts of material, without the need to seek permission. It is possible that the Publisher of the material you wish to re-use is also a signatory to these Guidelines. Both sets of Guidelines can be linked from STM’s home page.
Who do I need to contact about obtaining permission to make use of some figures from articles published in IOP journals if I am not the author of those articles?
Please send your enquiry to permissions@iop.org and we will respond to your request as quickly as we can.
As the author of an IOP published article, can I re-use figures, tables, graphs, etc. in future publications?
Yes, IOP authors may use their own figures, tables, graphs, artwork, illustrations and data from their articles without seeking permission from IOP provided that
- credit is accurately given to the original article,
- modifications to the presentation of previously published data are noted and distinguished from the introduction of any new data, and
- re-use is not made for direct commercial purposes.
Where there are co-authors, the other authors should be informed. In all other cases please contact the Managing Editor, Copyright and Permissions at permissions@iop.org for advice.
In this context the re-use of figures, tables, graphs etc in after dinner speeches or in conference presentations is not considered by IOPto be use for a direct commercial purpose even where the author is paid to speak.
See also Questions 14 and 15 regarding use of the full article for teaching and at conferences.
I have downloaded a figure/photo from the Internet. Do I need any permission to use it?
Permission should always be requested from the source of any figure or photograph taken from the Internet, before this is used elsewhere. You will need to supply full details of the planned re-use when sending your request, mentioning whether it will be for print and/or electronic formats. Even if permission appears not to be required it is good practice to notify the copyright owner of the re-use.

Signing the Copyright form

What sections of the Assignment of Copyright must I sign?
If you hold the copyright in your work then you only need to sign as the author. However, if your terms of employment state that the copyright in any articles written in the course of your employment belongs to your employer then you will need to obtain a second signature, on behalf of your employer, in support of your submission.
See also Questions 23–26.
What if I am not sole author?
Only one author should sign the form, as authorised agent on behalf of all the named authors. Before signing on behalf of all named authors the signatory must get consent from all the others.
I am a UK government employee.
Your article will be governed by Crown Copyright and is therefore not eligible for copyright transfer. A licence should be issued by your employer to enable IOP to publish your work. Please contact permissions@iop.org with any queries.
All authors of the article are US Government employees, so where do I sign?
One signature is required at the end of the Copyright form, confirming that all authors are employees of the US Government and the article is not eligible for copyright.
Some but not all of the authors are US Government employees, so where do I sign?
One author signature who is not a US Government employee only is required in the first signature section, on behalf of all the authors.
Can I send a scanned or faxed copy of the form?
Yes, forms can be returned by fax, e-mail or post. But see also the next question regarding signatures.
Can I include a digital signature on the form?
Currently a digital signature superimposed on the document is unacceptable, for UK legal reasons. Instead we require a handwritten signature on the printed form, which can then be scanned for return to IOP.

e-print servers

I have submitted my article to an IOP journal. Can I also submit it to arXiv.org or any other repository as well?
Yes, articles may be posted on non-commercial third party websites, including arXiv and other repositories. The author’s own original format should be used (which may include amendments made by the author following peer review). This is the version commonly known as the accepted manuscript. If possible, citation information should be included with IOP’s copyright notice. Once the final version has been published, best efforts must also be made to include a link to the online abstract of the paper in the journal. Authors MUST NOT deposit the published IOP formatted version. IOP also requests that you include the following statement of provenance: 'This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication in [insert name of journal]. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The definitive publisher authenticated version is available online at [insert DOI].'
When submitting an article to arXiv you have to select a licence or declaration which gives the arXiv the rights necessary to distribute your article. IOP is happy for you to select the first option offered, namely 'arXiv.org perpetual, non-exclusive licence to distribute your article'. Please do not accept any of the other options without consulting with IOP in advance at permissions@iop.org.
See also Question 17 below.
What is IOP’s policy with regard to UK PubMed Central and NIH?
On or after acceptance for publication IOP authors may deposit their articles in PubMed/NIH provided the articles are embargoed for public release for 12 months from the official date of publication and further provided the deposited version is in the author’s own original format (which may include amendments made by the author following peer review). This is the version commonly known as the accepted manuscript. Authors MUST NOT deposit the published IOP formatted version. IOP also requests that you include the following statement of provenance: 'This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication in [insert name of journal]. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The definitive publisher authenticated version is available online at [insert DOI].'
IOP is currently considering introducing a service to deposit articles at UK PubMed Central and NIH for authors in the future.

Author’s rights after publication by IOP

After the copyright in my article has transferred to IOP, may I still use the article for teaching or in a thesis or dissertation?
Yes, the Assignment of Copyright document sets out the rights that IOP authors retain in clause 3. These include copying the article (all or part) for teaching purposes, and including the article (all or part) in research theses or dissertations. These rights must be exercised for non-commercial purposes. If possible citation information and IOP’s copyright notice should be displayed and for electronic use best efforts must be made to include a link to the online abstract in the journal.
After the copyright in my article has transferred to IOP, may I still use it for lecturing and at conferences?
Yes, you may make oral presentations of the article (all or part) and include a summary and/or highlights of it in papers distributed at presentations or in conference proceedings. However, papers distributed should display citation information and IOP’s copyright notice. These rights must be exercised only for non-commercial purposes, with the exception of where the author is invited to give a presentation or talk on their work for which they receive a fee. If a proceedings is intended for publication in a peer-reviewed journal you may not include a work which is substantially similar to one published in an IOP journal.
After the copyright in my article has transferred to IOP, may I include it in a compilation work?
The article (all or part) may be included without modification in personal compilations or publications of a named author’s own work provided this is not created by a different Publisher. This right must be exercised for non-commercial purposes, the publications should if possible display citation information and IOP’s copyright notice and for electronic use best efforts must be made to include a link to the online abstract in the journal. You should not use the final published IOP format, but your own format which may include amendments made following peer review.
If the compilation is being prepared for commercial sale by another Publisher please contact permissions@iop.org.
May I post my paper on my personal website or my institutional website?
Yes, IOP authors can place their papers (all or part) on their own personal website or on the website of the institution (including its repository) where a named author worked when research for the article was carried out, but they must not use the IOP formatted version of record (PDF or HTML). Instead they can make use of the article in their own format, which can include amendments made following peer review. This is the version commonly known as the accepted manuscript. The purpose of the posting must be non-commercial, if possible should display citation information and IOP’s copyright notice. Once the final version has been published, best efforts must be made to include a link back to the online abstract in the journal. Authors MUST NOT post the published IOP formatted version. IOP also requests that you include the following statement of provenance: 'This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication in [insert name of journal]. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The definitive publisher authenticated version is available online at [insert DOI].'
For posting on e-print servers see Question 12 above.
As the author of an IOP published article, may I provide a pdf of my paper to a colleague or third party or would this violate your copyright?
Yes, authors can provide colleagues with the link to the online abstract of their article, so that they can access it if their institution has the necessary rights.
Under IOP’s Free for Thirty days Policy, which applies to most IOP journals, colleagues will be able to access the article for thirty days whether or not their institution has a subscription.
Authors may also send or transmit the final published article in any format to colleagues on specific request provided no fee is charged and it is not done systematically through, for example, mass-mailings, posting on list-servs or other open websites.
May I reuse the abstract of my article?
Yes, IOP authors may re-use or post their article abstracts on any website for non-commercial purposes. No changes may be made to the abstract. Any links, brands, trademarks, or copyright notices embedded in the abstract must remain intact. Wherever possible the abstract should provide a link back to the online version on the IOP website.
May I reuse supplementary material forming part of my article?
Yes, you may re-use supplementary material. The author retains copyright in supplementary material which forms part of the article as IOP only takes a non-exclusive licence to publish supplementary material. Examples of supplementary material are online multimedia, video and data sets (meaning sets/ collections of raw data captured in the course of research). IOP adheres to STM’s 2006 Statement Databases, Datasets, and Data Accessibility – Views and Practices of Scholarly Publishers.

Non-ownership of copyright

What if I do not own copyright of the article I have written?
Please contact the Managing Editor, Copyright and Permissions via permissions@iop.org for advice on how to proceed.

What is the position if my article is rejected?

My article has been rejected by an IOP journal, so what happens to the copyright now?
The Assignment of Copyright document only becomes valid once an article has been accepted for publication. If an article is rejected by IOP then the copyright remains with the author and the form has no significance.

General queries

What is copyright?
As soon as an original idea is expressed in a physical medium, such as writing on paper, it qualifies for copyright protection. This right is automatically vested in the author or their employer depending on the contract of employment and the relevant jurisdiction.
As a matter of statute law the copyright holder of a work has the right to prevent others from reproducing, distributing and communicating the work electronically to others. Copyright infringement occurs whenever someone other than the copyright holder reproduces, distributes or communicates the work electronically to others without permission from the copyright holder.
As far as academic journals published by IOP are concerned IOP believes that academic authors have the rights they need to use the articles for education and research purposes notwithstanding the copyright issue.
See Questions 14–21 above.
Why does IOP request transfer of copyright?
When the copyright in a work is transferred to IOP it enables IOP to ensure that the work can be given maximum exposure via our international systems and through our publishing expertise. There are several reasons why this is so and a summary of the most important of these follows:
- Owning copyright comes with certain obligations which Publishers are well placed to carry out. For example, the owner of copyright needs to respond to requests for permissions from other authors and Publishers and from institutions perhaps for course packs. There is also the obligation to negotiate licences with institutions and sub-licences such as with document suppliers. Then there is the duty to register copyright in certain jurisdictions. We believe that Publishers are better placed to do these things than authors. For example, do authors really want to familiarize themselves with the procedures for registering their copyright in certain jurisdictions?
- Then there is the issue of multiple authors who would automatically own copyright jointly. If they retained copyright they would have to deal with all the above on a joint basis. Having a single copyright holder eases the management of copyright. One party can deal with these things much more easily than a multitude.
- From IOP’s point of view, as the holder of the copyright IOP’s rights are not limited in time. This is in contrast to if IOP were a licensee as licences are sometimes limited in time either by contract or as a matter of the local law of the licensors (authors). Having rights which are unlimited by time enables IOP to licence perpetual rights which many libraries want. Further, by having rights unlimited by time IOP can move safely into new formats and publication platforms which may arise years after the original document is signed by the authors. IOP has the right to make use of the articles in the future, without having to seek the authors' permission again. This is beneficial to the whole community. The grant of rights unlimited in time provides the legal incentives necessary for Publishers to undertake the investment needed to disseminate the scientific record worldwide and to maintain the integrity of that record.
- In addition, it makes enforcement of rights much easier, enabling IOP to protect the work against infringers. Authors rarely defend themselves against infringers, pirates and plagiarists as they do not have the expertise, time or money to do so. IOP is much better placed to do this.
- Some query whether Publishers need to hold copyright and say that by doing so authors are prevented from using their articles for academic research or educational reasons. But as can be seen from the answers to questions 14–20 the fact that the copyright has been transferred to IOP does not prevent the authors from using the article in most of the ways they would want for ongoing research, education and outreach. In addition, it does not deny the authors' other rights such as the moral right to be identified as the author or patent rights.
- For further discussion of this issue please see also the STM position paper Publishers Seek Copyright Transfers (Or Transfers Or Licences Of Exclusive Rights) To Ensure Proper Administration & Enforcement of Author Rights.
- Finally, note that IOP does not take a copyright assignment for supplementary material (see Question 20 above.)
Why does IOP believe it needs exclusive rights?
If IOP only had a non-exclusive licence the owner could publish the work in another publication in addition to the IOP journal. This is regarded as unethical. See Question 30 below.
Does the assignment of copyright deny the author other intellectual property rights?
No, authors retain other rights including their moral rights to, for example, be named as the author, to object to derogatory treatment of the work (such as changes being made to the work which the author objects to) as well as the right to patent any inventions described in the article.
Do all articles require a signed Assignment of Copyright form?
Authors should complete an Assignment form and have returned this to IOP by the time their paper is accepted for publication. This ensures that IOP is mandated to publish the article on the author’s behalf and that the author confirms all the conditions relating to the article. If you think that you require an exclusive licence rather than an assignment of copyright please contact permissions@iop.org.
As a third party, can I use articles published by IOP for lecture and classroom purposes?
This is normally possible for requests relating to small numbers of copies or parts of articles, but requests for multiple copies are better handled by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), which deals with the licensing and collection of fees from copying and scanning of published material in the UK. The CLA acts on IOP’s behalf in this area. In the USA such requests should be sent to the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC).
As a third party (not an author), can I request permission to re-publish an article or portion of an article published by IOP?
This may be possible. Please let us know the full details of your intentions, such as where the material will appear and in what format, if it will be produced by another Publisher etc. Please send as much background to the request as you can to permissions@iop.org and we will respond to your enquiry.
What is the situation regarding dual publication? (see IOP Ethical Policy)
Dual publication of identical articles is regarded as unethical in the STM publishing field and Publishers work together wherever possible to ensure that instances of this are minimized. The overlap between research papers, conference papers and review articles can be subtle and conventions vary in different scientific fields. Please consult IOP’s Ethical Policy and the Editorial Office of the journal concerned for advice on specific questions.
Does IOP publish any open-access journals?
IOP publishes some open-access journals and for these journals IOP requests an Assigment of Copyright (for the same reasons as in Question 24). Authors still have the right to use the article in any way they might wish provided there is no commercial use. There should be a citation and for electronic use best efforts should be made to include a link back to the abstract in the IOP published journal.
Other queries
If you have a query which has not been answered in these FAQs please e-mail permissions@iop.org.

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