Important Restrictions to the Use of
Harvard Business School Press Articles
in Courses, as of July 1, 2009

Harvard Business School Press articles can no longer be assigned as course material. Students will need to purchase articles through MBS Direct. Affected publications are:

  • Harvard Business Review
  • Harvard Management Update
  • Harvard Management Communication Letter

Due to publisher's restrictions, faculty cannot assign articles from Harvard Business Review, Harvard Management Update and Harvard Management Communication (found in the Business Source Complete database) to students as course material beginning Summer 2009. Faculty cannot request articles from these publications via E-Reserves or place them in Reserved Readings. Students must purchase assigned articles from Harvard Business School Press though MBS Direct.

Visit Ask a Librarian for assistance locating similar materials from alternate publications.

In cases where only a Harvard Business School Press article will suffice for classroom use, place the request through your academic director or program director for it to be purchased by your students through MBS Direct.

Frequently Asked Questions


Can students still use Harvard Business School Press articles in their own research and cite them in their papers and coursework?
Yes. This use of Harvard Business School Press articles in Business Source Complete is allowed by the publisher.

Can I direct students to find an assigned Harvard Business School Press article themselves in Business Source Complete? Isn’t this ok if I am not making a link to the article?
No. Even though Harvard Business School Press articles may remain available in Business Source Complete, they can no longer be used as course reading in any way per the publisher’s restrictions, regardless of how students are directed to the material.

Can I request a Harvard Business School Press article to be placed in Reserved Readings?
No. You may provide Harvard Business School Press articles to students for purchase through MBS by contacting your academic director or program director. You might consider alternative articles and publications that can be placed in Reserved Readings. UMUC librarians are glad to assist you with locating similar materials from other publications that can be assigned to students as required readings; visit Ask a Librarian.

Does this change affect Harvard Business School Cases?
No. Harvard Business School Cases can still be requested for students to purchase through MBS by making a request through your academic director or program director.

Note: There is a section of Harvard Business Review called "HBR Case Study," which features a fictional scenario followed by commentary from industry experts. Because these articles are part of the publication Harvard Business Review, they cannot be assigned as course material per the publisher's restrictions.

Are there other options?
There are alternatives available for most Harvard Business School Press articles. UMUC librarians will be glad to assist you with the process of searching for and choosing similar materials from other publications that can be assigned to students as required readings; visit Ask a Librarian.

Note: We can assist you with the search process. However as the instructor and subject expert, it is up to you to choose which resources are best for your courses and particular instructional needs.

Are any other journals affected?
No. At this time, Harvard Business School Press journals are the only journals restricted by the publisher in this way.

Other questions?
If you have additional questions, please contact Information and Library services via Ask a Librarian.