Research Services

Higher Degrees by Research - information for students

Publication

Publication is central to research and scholarly practice and as you are now engaged in research you will have opportunities to publish your work, or parts of it, in journals and perhaps books (possibly contributing to edited editions or multi-authored books or your own work). Publishing is essential if you plan to continue your academic career. It can significantly add to your professional reputation and even where it becomes only indirectly relevant to your career it is a significant achievement and addition to you curriculum vitae.

You own any Intellectual Property (IP) created by you, not the University, except when express assignment is agreed. You (and all students and visiting researchers) have an obligation to declare any Exploitable IP (IP which may be the subject of Commercial Exploitation - generating financial or other commercial gains - by the University, including inventions, plant varieties and copyright in computer programs) arising in the course of studies or work at the University (LTU Intellectual Property Policy (132002P)).

Confidential Research

If, at the time of selection of a research project, you are offered the opportunity to develop or work on a project that has the potential to produce outcomes that could lead to claims on intellectual property or is funded under a contractual arrangement, you must be fully informed by your supervisor(s), in writing, of any conditions or contracts which might restrict disclosure of information and the extent to which communication with University colleagues is possible during the course of the work and on its completion. If you agree to take part in such a project you will have to sign documentation of the conditions of disclosure.

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Patents and inventions

The University has no claim to ownership of inventions created or produced by students in the course of studies except by virtue of the contributions of staff members, or in order to give effect to a third party right (e.g., under a contract sponsoring the student’s project) or otherwise under a contractual agreement with the student.

You have an obligation to disclose inventions to the University in order to enable the University to examine the circumstances of the invention and to confirm that no other members of the University or any third parties have an interest in the invention.

Research contracts and agreements

If you are involved in working on a research contract or under an agreement with an external organisation care will be needed to protect your rights and to ensure that completion of your degree is not compromised by requirements of the contract or external organisation. Discuss any doubts or questions you have about the organisation of your research with your supervisor or a member of your RPP.