How to handle copyright issues to ensure that articles can be published in journals?

Managing copyright issues is essential to ensure your article complies with journal publication requirements. Achieving compliance involves securing necessary permissions and appropriately licensing your work. Authors must explicitly obtain permission for any substantial third-party copyrighted material (e.g., figures, tables, extended text passages) reused in the manuscript prior to submission and clearly attribute its source. Familiarize yourself with the target journal's specific copyright policy regarding ownership transfer (traditional model) or retention with licensing (open access model, typically CC-BY). Be aware of funder mandates, like Plan S, which require specific open licenses. Ensure institutional approvals are secured for material subject to institutional copyright or requiring ethical clearance. The process involves these key steps: 1) Identify all potentially copyrighted elements within your manuscript. 2) Secure written permissions from rights holders for reuse well before submission. 3) Ensure proper attribution as required and acknowledge permissions secured in the manuscript. 4) Upon acceptance, comply promptly with the journal's license signing or copyright transfer form. 5) Retain copies of all permissions documentation for verification.