You as the author have the following rights unless and until you transfer the copyright in a signed agreement:
However, when your article is accepted for publication, you will be asked to sign a standard agreement that transfers most, or all of your rights to the publisher. This means that you are no longer the copyright holder for your work. Depending on your contract with the publisher, your attempts to share your own work with colleagues and students, in print or electronic formats, may be infringing.
That's why it is important to retain the rights you need. Transferring copyright doesn't have to be all or nothing. You can transfer copyright while holding back rights for yourself and others.
SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) provides helpful insights into author rights.
So how can you retain the rights you need? These resources will help you negotiate the process.
How can I selectively retain control of my works? These tools can be used to create an addendum to your publisher's agreement.