Thesis Requirements: Copyright Permissions

In Canada, generally speaking, quoting and citing an author's text is ok--you permitted to use a small percentage (see copyright links below).

However, permission is necessary to include another's images, photos, maps (tables can be recreated and stated as "adapted from...") (see "Citing Sources" examples below).  Much like a visual artist's work, you are using an object that was created by someone else.  

Though authors are often happy to have their work used for academic and research purposes, you must be proactive and get the required permission early in your process—that is, when you're thinking of using the material. The procedure you should follow is:

1. Look on websites for permissions and, if there, print these and keep a copy of them for your records. 
2. If you cannot find permission on the website, email the organization/author/publisher for permission and when you get your reply, copy these, and keep originals for your records. (A letter from the author/publisher with signature is fine as well.)
3. Hand in a copy of all permissions with your thesis.  

If you can't get permission, best to find something else to use instead; an alternative might be to recreate a diagram so it looks quite different from the original, using different words, and stating "adapted from..." (see sample citation below).

See:

• Appendix A (pp. 7-9) in Canadian Association of University Teachers.  (2008, December). Fair Dealing. CAUT Intellectual Property Advisory, 3, 1-9. 
• the Library's Copyright FAQs.
• Review the basics of copyright at: Scholarly Publishing: Copyright.

Other pages of interest:

• Can I use my own material from my previous article(s) or thesis (e.g., Master's) in a current thesis (e.g,, Doctorate)?
• Citing and Referencing
• Images / Graphics / Scanning images to insert into your document 
• Landscaped Tables, Images, Figures
• Tables, Figures, Images

Note. A screen-shot/screenshot of a webpage that has the website's banner on it is a different matter--for example, a newspaper, or something that is in the public domain--which makes it visably known that you got it off the web.  Read their copyright/legal statement as well--you may likely only need to cite this as any other citation--and be sure to include the date the screen-shot was taken.  Make the webpage as big as possible and the image as high a quality image as possible. 

Images and Figures

If you're using your own images, you can cite these as follows. 
Source: © Firstname Surname or
Note. © I. Surname (use initials for APA)
 

Citing Sources

In APA, a note would be inserted below an image along with an entry in the References:
Note. Wolfe, 1998 (p. 11); used with permission.

For a recreated table, in APA a note would be inserted below a table along with an entry in the References:
Note. Adapted from Wolfe, 1998 (p. 11).