Fair Use

Do you want to include a link to a journal article from a Moodle  course site or your faculty web pages?

It's easy to do if you follow a couple of simple steps.

Copying the correct link

Use the right URL! You'll need to use a persistent or stable URL--one that will be there for you and your students each time a Moodle page is opened.

Of course, each database provides the persistent URL (or PURL) to you differently, so for each database, there will be an example showing where to find the PURL.

More details and examples are provided in the link below.

• Any copyrighted material that you could distribute in a face-to-face course using Fair Use guidelines can also be distributed in your online course provided that access is restricted to students in the course (usually by a password or login requirement).
• As always, take advantage of library e-reserves and direct linking to digital content (e-books, online journal articles, web sites, digital image and archive respostories) whenever possible to avoid duplicating copyrighted materials you don't need to.
• Other materials exceeding fair use (such as an entire film or digital copy of a short novel) should be evaluated under the Teach Act to determine whether thay may be included in an online course.

"The existing copyright laws and “fair use” guidelines were written specifically for traditional classroom settings. An electronic “classroom” such as an online course is not a traditional classroom setting.

The TEACH Act revises the performance and display exemptions by updating and expanding them to apply in the digital environment. These revisions specifically provide, under certain restrictions and subject to specified conditions, for the use of copyrighted materials in the digital educational environment without having to obtain permission of the copyright holder."