Including figures or charts from journal articles in your thesis or dissertation is possible, but you need to make sure to follow proper copyright and attribution rules. Here are the steps you should take to include a figure or chart in your thesis or dissertation:
Check the copyright policy: Before using any figures or charts, you need to check the copyright policy of the journal article. Some journals allow you to use figures and charts for personal use or academic purposes, while others require permission from the copyright holder. If a journal article is open access, then you will not have to request permission. You will need to follow the terms of the open access license, including providing attribution.
Obtain permission: If the journal's copyright policy requires permission to use the figure or chart, you need to request it from the copyright holder. You can do this by contacting the journal publisher or the author of the article. Most journals have automated the permissions process. From the online version of the journal article, find the link to request permissions. Follow the process for permissions by filling out the online forms. You may have to register for an account at the Copyright Clearance Center to complete the permissions process, but the account is free.
Cite the source: When you use a figure or chart from a journal article, you must properly cite the source. You should include a citation in the text of your thesis or dissertation and provide a full reference in your bibliography.
Use the figure or chart appropriately: You should only use the figure or chart for the purpose for which you obtained permission. This means you cannot modify or alter the figure or chart in any way without permission.
Give proper attribution: You should provide proper attribution to the original source of the figure or chart. This includes a caption or legend that clearly states the source of the figure or chart and the original author.
By following these steps, you can ensure that you are using figures and charts from journal articles in a way that is legal and ethical. The same process applies to book chapters. For those, register at the Copyright Clearance Center and follow their process.
Answer written by ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI. Edited by Stephanie Towery, Copyright & Open Access Initiative Librarian.