The HSD Institute exists to support the development of theory and practice in human systems dynamics. Development of the field depends on members' ability to share information easily while sustaining the value of personal and institutional investment required to generate and express innovative ideas. This Intellectual Property Policy is designed to establish conditions that meet both of these needs for members and for the HSD Institute.

Materials distributed through on-line conversations, voice or in-person conversations, email, or attached word processing or text documents will be considered INFORMAL communications. Contents of such documents will be considered the property of the writer. Out of respect for each other and expectation that value will be given for value, members will be expected to acknowledge sources for ideas that appear in informal documents.

Materials that are distributed in .pdf format will be considered FORMAL communications. They will be owned by the author and should be cited formally in any reuse by other members or by the HSD Institute itself.

Materials published by the HSD Institute, including books, journal articles, newsletter articles, and white papers, will be considered PUBLISHED materials. The authors will retain copyright for the published materials, and the HSD Institute will have license to extract from or reproduce them in any variation throughout the life of the HSD Institute.

Materials that carry the HSD Institute copyright are considered “open source” materials and are available to others to be used “with permission.” Associates and others who attend HSD Institute-sponsored events or obtain our materials off the website are granted informal permission to use materials in their own work with only two requirements:

  • Users are asked to use appropriate citations to document the materials as being created by HSD Institute.
  • Users are asked to share their own learning and insights back into the Network for the benefit of others who can benefit from that expanded knowledge.

All Associates and staff of the HSD Institute are accountable to conform to this policy and to enforce it in all their interactions.

Disagreements that arise between Associates of the HSD Institute, between an Associate and the HSD Institute, or with other persons or institutions will be resolved through standard processes of mediation.

For more information about this policy or to provide information, please email info@hsdinstitute.org.