Library 101

We have established that using information effectively is an important part of life and clinical practice. It is equally important that we use information responsibly by understanding the ethical and legal issues surrounding it.

Information is not free, despite myths to the contrary. While we discussed in Section 8 that there are many sites with valuable and reliable information available for free on the internet, those resources still have a cost. Labor and technology were required to make them available. Funding from the U.S. government allows its agencies to provide a plethora of information at no cost to the public in the interest of having an informed citizenry and transparent government. Nonprofit agencies also provide information for the public in support of their mission; they are usually funded by donations. Other sites have information available for free, but create revenue with advertising.

FNU pays subscription fees for the resources provided by the library. In addition, legal agreements stipulating how the resources can and cannot be used are required. For example, most vendors require the University to limit access to resources to current faculty, staff, and students only. These restrictions are why students must login when accessing library resources. There is a movement to make research articles open access, so that those not affiliated with a library can read them. However, this often requires authors to pay a fee to the journal publisher to offset the publishing costs and loss of revenue. (You can learn more about open access on the Open Access InfoGuide.)

Responsible use of information extends to understanding and respecting copyright. Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. It can apply to both published and unpublished works (United States Copyright Office, 2009), such as literary works, music, photographs, movies, software, etc. (Electronic Frontier Foundation [EFF], n.d.-a). The law generally gives the author, creator, or owner of the work the exclusive right to reproduce, copy, distribute, display, or perform the work. The copyright owner is also the only one allowed to create new works based on the original (e.g. making a movie based on a book) (EFF, n.d.-a). As an example, FNU must request and receive permission from copyright owners to post articles in the course readings, because that is distribution of a work. Likewise, anyone showing a movie for public viewing must receive permission to do so.

Fair Use

Some copyrighted works can be used without permission through the doctrine of fair use. Fair use allows portions of a work to be used for commentary, parody, news reporting, research, and education (United States Copyright Office, 2009). What constitutes fair use is often nebulous, though. Courts look at four factors to determine if a use is fair:

1. The purpose and character of the use of copyrighted work.
2. The nature of the copyrighted work.
3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole.
4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Fair use is decided on a case-by-case basis, using these factors as guidelines. Often courts are interested in whether or not the individual using the work has acted in good faith (EFF, n.d.-b).

Public Domain

Another exception to copyright restrictions is works that are considered to be in the public domain.  These works can be used freely by anyone, without express permission from the copyright owner.  Public domain works are either designated as such or are no longer covered by copyright law because the copyright status has expired or been forfeited (EFF, n.d.-a).

Plagiarism is another important concept to be aware of when using information. Plagiarism is “copying or closely imitating the work of another writer, composer, etc., without permission and with the intention of passing the results off as original work” (Reitz, 2007). Plagiarism is a serious academic offense prohibited by the FNU Honor Code Policy.

According to the FNU Catalog,

Any of these examples are considered plagiarism and constitute a serious breach of academic integrity:

1. Submitting a paper, examination, or assignment written by another.
2. Word-for-word copying of another’s writing from the internet, hard copy text, and/or personal communication, without enclosing the copied passage in quotation marks and acknowledging the source using appropriate APA format.
3. The use of a unique term or concept taken from another source without acknowledging that source.
4. The paraphrasing or abbreviated restating of someone else’s ideas without acknowledging that person.
5. Falsely citing a reference that was never actually consulted, or making up a citation.
6. Falsely reporting data that was never actually collected or which showed contrary results.
7. Unacknowledged multiple authors or collaboration on a project or paper.

8. Unless expressly approved, submitting previous work, or parts of previous work, from any FNU course (including a repeated course) or course work from any other program.

(FNU, 2022, p. 100)

You are encouraged to review the Plagiarism Policy and Procedure in the most recent FNU Catalog.

You might be wondering what the difference is between plagiarism and copyright. They both address the legality and legitimacy of copying or using someone else’s work, but they are different. Plagiarism protects ideas, but copyright protects the “fixed expression of ideas” (EFF, n.d.-a). As mentioned in the video, plagiarism is the act of misrepresentation and can be avoided by properly citing your sources. Copyright, on the other hand, is a legal concept, and merely citing the source does not absolve you of copyright infringement (EFF, n.d.-a). Stated permission from the copyright owner is the only way to avoid infringement.

When using images in a presentation or other work there are often questions about copyright and citation. See the InfoGuide below for more information on this topic.

Plagiarism can be avoided by citing your sources. Therefore, learning and using a citation style is very important. Traditionally, nursing has used APA Style for its literature. The American Psychological Association established this style for its publications and nursing and other social and behavioral sciences have adopted it as their standard as well. The rules and guidelines for this style are published in The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, now in its seventh edition (American Psychological Association, 2020). The manual gives instructions and examples on all aspects of formatting a paper in this style, including using in-text citations and creating a reference list. You are required to purchase this manual as part of your coursework and it's a good idea to keep it close at hand.

Let's look at a reference to get familiar with the elements that you need to properly cite a resource. Below is an example of a journal article, which is one of the most common types of sources you will use.

Remember that whenever you use a resource for a paper, you will need to make note of these elements for constructing your reference list. More resources for help with citation are available in the next section.

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Electronic Frontier Foundation. (n.d.-a). Copyright frequently asked questions. Teaching Copyright. https://www.eff.org/teachingcopyright/handouts#copyrightFAQ

Electronic Frontier Foundation. (n.d.-b). Fair use frequently asked questions. Teaching Copyright. https://www.eff.org/teachingcopyright/handouts#fairuseFAQ

Frontier Nursing University. (2022, Summer). Frontier Nursing University Catalog. https://portal.frontier.edu/documents/10609/7483506/FNU+Catalog+Summer+2022.pdf/ab76e44f-589d-b4d7-946b-598757093013?version=1.0&t=1664396309482

Reitz, J.M. (2007). ODLIS – Online dictionary for library and information science. http://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_A.aspx 

United States Copyright Office. (2009). Frequently asked questions about copyright. http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/