Copyright and Creative Commons
With all of the information that is available for you to access on the internet for your research assignments, it is very easy (and often tempting) to just 'copy and paste' pictures and text into your work.
Much of what is on the Internet, however, is protected by copyright so you must be very careful that you follow copyright rules about what you can and can't copy as well as referencing your work correctly.
Something that is making it easier to use online resources without fear of breaking copyright rules is a thing called Creative Commons which has less restrictions on what you can and can't use. In fact a number of websites have been set up specifically to provide resources that are free to use. Many of those sites are listed below.
Google also has an advanced search function that allows you to search for only free resources. Check out the link here to find out how to do one of these searches.
Use the resources below to find out more about Copyright, Creative Commons, how to reference effectively and the range of online resources that provide free and / or Creative Commons materials.
About Copyright
The Australian Copyright Council
Cyberbee Copyright Questions and Answers
Copyright Law: 12 Dos and Don'ts
Copyright and Copyleft
Creative Commons
Creative Commons Australia
Wikipedia: Creative Commons
Wikimedia Commons
Searching Google for Creative Commons resources ( Google Inside Search)
YouTube: Creative Commons
Smartcopying: Creative Commons
Flickr: Creative Commons
A Creative Commons Guide for Online Students
Creative Commons Resources for you to use
There are a range of websites that have been listed in the Studyvibe Toolbox that have free or Creative Commons resources. These include images, podcasts, video and other multimedia. Check them out below.
Image Gallery
Multimedia Library
Referencing
Whether you are using materials that are covered by Copyright or Creative Commons it is very important that you reference them when you are doing your assignment. To find out how to reference properly visit Making Referencing Real.
