Postgraduate research support from the Library
The library offers support to Postgraduate Research students for:
- Copyright
- Data Management
- Open Access
- Publishing
- Using the institutional research repositories (RaY and RaYDaR)
The full Research Support webpage can be found here: https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/library/research-support/
Copyright
Copyright is an automatic right granted to creators of all original works. It-s important to consider copyright in your own work and in the using the works of others.
The Copyright Essentials webpage provides further information about copyright law and the licences the University holds.
Library and Learning Services offer a dedicated guide for how copyright applies in postgraduate research.
Who owns copyright to my work?
As a York St John researcher you will own the copyright to all your work, unless the University specifies otherwise.
As a copyright holder you can decide how your work can be used by others through licensing your work.
For work shared through Open Access models it is recommended you assign a Creative Commons licence to your work. Information about the 6 Creative Commons licences can be found on our Copyright essentials web page.
Copyright can be transferred, sold or leased. If you go on to publish your research, you should read contract terms carefully. The University recommends you retain copyright where possible and avoid transferring full copyright to publishers.
For queries about copyright and publishing contact ray@yorksj.ac.uk for advice.
How do I use the work of others?
When using any third party work you should check for a copyright licence or permission information. Any non-credited or unauthorised use of a third-party resource may result in copyright infringement.
If there isn-t a licence or information on the work do not assume it can be used, you will need to seek permission from the copyright owner. Seeking permission takes time so you need to make sure you plan well in advance if you want to use third party material.
For information about copyright clearance and permissions contact ray@yorksj.ac.uk
Research Data Management (RDM)
During your studies you will generate research data, and it is important to manage the data effectively.
Research data is any data found or generated during a research project. It includes:
- Spreadsheets, surveys and field notes
- Interview transcripts
- Multi-media and audiovisual material
- Sketches and annotations.
Research data management (RDM) is the processes involved in managing and organising research data through the research data lifecycle.
Research Data Toolkit
The library has developed a Research Data Toolkit that details each stage of the data lifecycle and offers advice and software to manage research data.
The full Toolkit and webpage can be found on our website.
RaYDaR
RaYDaR is York St John-s Data repository which exists to store, showcase and share research data. As part of York St John-s commitment to Open Access and the Data Management Policy all researchers should deposit relevant research data openly on RaYDaR.
Library and Learning Services has a RaYDaR guide to help you create an account and upload datasets.
Open Access
Open Access is a type of publishing model that allows free and unrestricted access to research outputs. York St John promotes publishing Open Access where possible, using the Green or Diamond Open Access routes.
The University-s full Open Access Policy and information about different Open Access routes can be found here.
As part of your postgraduate thesis deposit, your thesis will be made Open Access through the University research repository (RaY). As part of this process, you will be asked to select a Creative Commons licence.
Publishing
Library and Learning services can offer advice in searching and selecting suitable publishers. The full webpage for publishing research can be found here.
If you are presented with a publishing contract and are unsure about any of the terms, Library and Learning services can review contracts and provide advice. Contact ray@yorksj.ac.uk for more information.
Recommended Tools for identifying publishers
Think. Check. Submit is a recommend tool in identifying trustworthy publishers for journal articles and book chapter publishing.
The Journal Checker Tool is recommended to check compliance with research funding.
OAPEN Books Toolkit is a resource for any researcher thinking about publishing an Open Access book.
Using the Institutional Repositories (RaY and RaYDaR)
RaY is York St John-s institutional research repository. As part of the University-s Open Access policy all research outputs, including postgraduate theses, should be deposited onto RaY.
RaY is also a database for finding research, such as journal articles, book chapters, conference information and the theses of other York St John researchers. RaY can be searched without a log in.
RaYDaR is York St John-s data repository. As part of the University-s Data Management policy all open research data should be deposited onto RaYDaR. It is a global database and can be used to search for public datasets.