This paper describes the process of creating a controlled vocabulary which can be used to systematically analyse the copyright transfer agreements (CTAs) of journal publishers with regard to self-archiving. The analysis formed the basis of the newly created Copyright Knowledge Bank of publishers' self-archiving policies. Self-archiving terms appearing in publishers' CTAs were identified and classified, then simplified, merged, and discarded to form a definitive list. The controlled vocabulary consists of three categories describing `what' can be self-archived, the `conditions' and the `restrictions' of self-archiving. Condition terms include specifications such as `where' an article can be self-archived; restriction terms include specifications such as `when' the article can be self-archived. Additional information on any of these terms appears in `free-text' fields. Although this controlled vocabulary provides an effective way of analysing CTAs, it will need continual review and updating in light of any major new additions to the terms used in publishers' copyright and self-archiving policies.
JISC-SURF, `Partnering on Copyright' Programme (2006). Available at: www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/projects/programme_jiscsurfipr.aspx (accessed 17 June 2007).
2.
RoMEO (Rights MEtadata for Open Archiving) Project (2003). Available at: www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/ls/disresearch/romeo/index.html (accessed 15 June 2007).
3.
Sherpa/RoMeo, Database of Publishers' Self-Archiving Policies (2006). Available at: www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo.php (accessed 20 June 2007).
4.
PubMed Central (2005). Available at: www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/ (accessed 16 February 2007).
5.
arXiv (2007). Available at: http://arxiv.org/ (accessed 16 June 2007).
6.
Cambridge Journals Online (2006). Available at: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/home (accessed 20 June 2007).
7.
C. Jenkins , S. Probets, C. Oppenheim and B. Hubbard, RoMEO studies 8: self-archiving. The logic behind the colour coding used in the Copyright Knowledge Bank, Program41(2) (2007) 124-33.
8.
US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Public Access Policy (2005). Available at: http://publicaccess.nih.gov/policy.htm (accessed 16 June 2007 ).
9.
Wellcome Trust, Position Statement in Support of Open and Unrestricted Access to Published Research (2006). Available at: www.wellcome.ac.uk/doc_WTD002766.html (accessed 10 June 2007).
10.
Blackwell Publishing, About Online Open (2006). Available at: www.blackwellpublishing.com/static/onlineopen.asp (accessed 10 June 2007).
11.
Geological Society of America, Copyright Information (2005). Available at: www.geosociety.org/pubs/copyrt.htm#web (accessed 14 June 2007 ).
12.
JISC, JISC VERSIONS (Versions of Eprints - User Requirements Study and Investigation of the Need for Standards) Project (2005). Available at: www.lse.ac.uk/library/versions (accessed 14 June 2007).
