Many publishers allow the use of published articles for theses and dissertations. Check the permissions or rights request links on the publisher's website. Many publishers such as Elsevier will have language like this: "Authors can include their articles in full or in part in a thesis or dissertation for non-commercial purposes."

This is not sufficient permission for a Pitt ETD, since Pitt ETDs are submitted to ProQuest, which is considered a commercial endeavor by most publishers.

Some publishers will allow this in their rights and permissions language, but many do not. In this case, it is best to request permission from the publisher. Most publishers use the Copyright Clearance Center Rights Link to manage dissertations permissions, the ETD Copyright Website has a video on how to use Rights Link to request permissions.

If you are the author of an article published by Elsevier or Sage and wish to use the entire article as a chapter in your ETD you will have to request permission through the publishers permissions portals. Here is a link to Elsevier's permission help desk and Sage's permissions portal.

Sample letters to request permission are available from the ETD Copyright Website. You can use the sample letters when requesting permission from Elsevier and Sage as well as publishers or other rights holders that do not use an automated approval system.  

For articles that are currently in review or editing but not yet published, it is best to ask for permission. 

When in doubt, ask for permission from the publisher. 

If you have any questions or need assistance is getting the necessary permissions please open an ETD Support ticket.