As you navigate your academic journey, you'll frequently encounter situations where you want to use someone else's work—be it a photograph, a diagram, a quote, or a piece of music. In these cases, you'll need to understand the difference between providing attribution and obtaining permission. Let's dive into what each means and when it's necessary.
Attribution means acknowledging the creator of a work you're using. Whether you're citing a paragraph from an academic paper or using a copyrighted image in your presentation, attribution is essential to avoid plagiarism and respect intellectual property rights. However, it's crucial to understand that giving credit is not a substitute for obtaining permission.
In academic writing, you're generally expected to cite sources when quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing someone else's work. Styles like MLA, APA, or Chicago dictate how these citations should look. But remember, citing a source does not mean you can freely distribute or alter the work. It merely allows the reader to trace back the origins of the information.
Permission involves getting explicit approval from the copyright holder to use their work in a way that goes beyond what's considered "fair use" or other exceptions under copyright law. This could be necessary for several reasons:
Extent of Use: If you plan to include large portions of a copyrighted work in your own project, you'll likely need permission.
Nature of Distribution: If your project will be published in a public forum, sold for profit, or otherwise widely distributed, permission is often required.
Specific Rights: Some copyrighted works have specific restrictions. For example, many photographs online may be copyrighted in a way that requires permission for any use beyond personal viewing.
Check Licensing: Many works come with licenses that outline how they can be used. A Creative Commons license, for instance, may allow for free use and modification as long as proper credit is given. The Library has has pre-licensed resources for students.
Consider the Context: In academic settings, the doctrine of "fair use" often applies, which allows the use of copyrighted material for educational purposes. However, fair use has limitations, and these must be considered on a case-by-case basis as discussed earlier.
The SJR State Library has created citation guides for MLA, APA, Chicago, and IEEE citation styles. If you need help citing material, go to the Library and see a Librarian or writing tutor. They are happy to help you and their services are free to current SJR State students!
Next: Pre-Licensed Material