Human Factors Journal Moves to Exclusive License to Publish Contributor Form
On November 1, 2025, HFES will move from a Transfer of Copyright to an Exclusive License to Publish (ELP) contributor form. When signing an ELP the author retains copyright to the work as a whole, but assigns to the journal exclusive rights to publish, license, use, translate, adapt and share the article. Below is a summary of the terms of the ELP. Even though the author retains copyright, they may not publish the work in any format (print, online, etc.), translate it into other languages, make new versions or adaptations, license or authorize others to use it, or use it in collections or future works, as those rights are assigned to the journal.
Summary of Sage ELP terms
Grant of Rights: The author grants the journal full, exclusive rights to use and share the article in any form and medium, while allowing shared (non-exclusive) rights for the abstract and supplemental materials. The exclusive rights include: publishing it in any format (print, online, etc.), translating it into other languages, making new versions or adaptations, licensing or authorizing others to use it, using it in collections or future works.
1. Warranties & Indemnification
The authors promise that:
- They have the legal right to publish and share their work.
- The work is original, hasn’t been published elsewhere, and doesn’t violate any laws or anyone else’s rights.
- Any data or claims are accurate and won’t cause harm if used properly.
- If anything turns out to be untrue or causes legal trouble, the authors agree to take responsibility and protect the publisher and journal from any costs or issues that result
2. Supplemental Materials
If the authors provide extra content (like datasets, videos, charts), the publisher has permission to share those online, while the authors still own that material and can publish it elsewhere too.
3. U.S. Government Works
If the authors are U.S. government employees and created the work as part of their job:
- The work is public domain (not copyrighted).
- The publisher can still publish it, but doesn’t get exclusive rights.
- If the work was funded by a government grant, the government can still use it freely for its own purposes.
4. Contributor Credit
Every author will be credited in the publication. The main contact author is responsible for providing the correct information. The publisher can use the authors' names and bios for marketing and distribution.
5. Editing & Proofreading
The publisher can edit the submission for clarity, grammar, and formatting. Authors get a chance to review changes before publication. If the authors want to make big last-minute changes or use color images in the print version, there might be fees.
6. Publishing Ethics
The publisher follows strict ethical guidelines. If the article has problems—before or after it’s published—they can reject, correct, retract it, or even notify the authors’ institutions if needed.
7. If the Article Isn’t Published
If the journal decides not to publish the article, this agreement is canceled, and all rights go back to the authors.
8. Legal Details
- This agreement is governed by California law.
- If there's a dispute, the authors and publisher will try to work it out, then try mediation, and if needed, go to arbitration in California.
- Whoever wins in legal disputes can recover their legal costs.
- Any changes to this agreement must be in writing.
- Electronic and faxed signatures count as legal.
9. Marketing Consent
The authors agree that the publisher can send them emails or other messages related to the publication. They can opt out later by notifying the publisher.
10. Conflicts of Interest
Authors must be honest about any conflicts of interest (like financial ties or affiliations) when submitting their work, following Sage’s guidelines.
11. Using Third-Party Content
If authors include anything they didn’t create (like images, charts, etc.), they must:
- Give proper credit,
- Get written permission for its use worldwide,
- And pay any fees required.