An Autoethnography of an English Lecturer's Experience as a Collaborative Book Author with Intellectual Property Protection

Tira Nur Fitria (Institut Teknologi Bisnis AAS Indonesia)

Jurnal Sumber Hukum
Vol 3 No 2 (2026): JURNAL SUMBER HUKUM

“From Writing to Copyright Protection”, this study explores and reflects on the lived experiences of an English lecturer as a collaborative book author, focusing on the journey from academic writing to copyright protection as a form of intellectual property protection and recognition. This study employed a qualitative autoethnographic approach. The findings revealed six interconnected themes reflecting the transformation of the researcher’s understanding of academic authorship and intellectual property protection. The first theme showed that entering collaborative writing communities provided opportunities for networking, knowledge exchange, and participation in collective scholarly practices. The second theme highlighted that collaborative writing requires adaptation to shared standards, effective communication, revision, and responsibility among contributors. The third theme demonstrated that academic publishing extends beyond manuscript completion, as copyright registration introduced the importance of legal recognition and protection of intellectual contributions. The fourth theme revealed that copyright protection represents more than a legal document; it symbolizes recognition of creativity, effort, and collaboration involved in producing scholarly works. The fifth theme illustrated that direct involvement in copyright registration increased the researcher’s awareness of the importance of protecting academic outputs and strengthened intellectual property awareness among academics. The sixth theme emphasized that copyright protection contributes to professional identity, academic recognition, and responsibility as an author. Overall, the study shows that the journey from writing to copyright protection is a transformative experience that reshapes the meaning of academic authorship. The journey from writing a collaborative book to obtaining copyright protection represents a process of professional growth, transforming the researcher’s identity from a knowledge producer into an academic author who understands the importance of creating, recognizing, and protecting intellectual contributions. Copyright should be understood not merely as an administrative requirement but as an essential component of scholarly responsibility, academic integrity, and professional development.