Copyright in the Digital Age: Opportunities and Challenges for Scholarly Communication in Higher Education

Abstract

This thesis examines the opportunities and challenges of copyright in the digital age for scholarly communication in higher education. It focuses on how academics in Informatics and Economics understand digital copyright, open access, and the FAIR data principles. Using a mixed methods approach, the study combines questionnaire data with semi structured interviews at the University of Debrecen. The findings show clear disciplinary differences in copyright perception, open access behaviour, and FAIR implementation. Informatics participants are generally more open to managed reuse and FAIR practices, while Economics participants are more concerned with confidentiality, ownership, and legal risk. The study concludes that effective copyright governance in universities requires discipline specific support, clearer institutional guidance, and stronger repository and data management services.