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Research ›› Democracy Research Guide
Using InformationOnce information is collected, one must also ensure that information and data is used correctly.Citing Source Material Electronic resources must be cited as would any print source. Three of the best-known English-language citation guidelines for print material are adapting their rules to incorporate material obtained from the Internet.
Copyright Law When deciding how to use information found in various sources, it is imperative to know your rights and responsibilities under the law. Copyright law is one of most important to consider. In the United States, copyright is the legal protection provided to the creators of "original works of authorship". The types of works covered vary by nation, but U.S. law includes (and is not limited to):
The Internet is an especially interesting issue for copyright law, because a typical resource can be made of copyrighted and non-copyrighted material. A Web page may have photos or images that are protected, next to text that is not protected. E-mail transmissions may have a formal notice stating how its contents can be used or shared. Electronic resources may seem less tangible or likely to be protected, but the same caution must be taken as done with a book or videocassette. Protection basically consists of a set of rules that govern how others can use or share created works and protection begins from the moment the work is created in a fixed format. U.S. law does not require copyright holders to include a notice that their work is protected. However, many owners do indicate protection by using a copyright symbol © (small circle with the letter 'c' inside), or a statement that specifies how their work is protected and how it can be permissibly used. Persons or organizations found to have violated copyright law can be subject to lawsuits and/or monetary penalties for each incident of infringement. As of this writing, there is no global copyright law that protects a work in every nation, but the International Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works signed the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works in an effort to afford cross-border protection of works created in member states. Because governments do not wish to completely prohibit use of created works, the concept of "fair use" helps to define a basic understanding of any limited use of a work that is permitted without the copyright holders' prior consent. Also, it is critical to note that not every work created is covered by copyright law. The interpretations of fair use and what works go beyond the scope of this document. Here are some suggested resources for more information:
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