Chapter 15 Can I use Web based materials in the same way as I use printed sources?

Web vs. Print Print is more expensive to produce. Print (generally) is reviewed and edited by a professional Web material is relatively cheap to “publish” and therefore stuff that’s not commercially viable can be put on the Web. However, stuff that’s crap can also be published on the Web. And stuff that’s unpopular but well researched can be published on the Web.

Print vs. Web Web publication, unlike Print publication may be unreviewed and unfiltered. The Web offers potential for publishing works that aren’t acceptable for print publication. Some of these works are worthwhile and some aren’t. It’s up to you to tell the difference.

Bias in Information Once again, you have to judge whether the information is biased or not. Bias can occur in printed material as well as Web based material. Sometimes bias can be subtle such as by controlling what is included and what is omitted.

Evaluating Information Author/Publisher Who is the author? What expertise does the author have that lends authority to the presentation? What organization is the author affiliated with? What motivation might this organization have in presenting information in a particular way? Who publishes the information? What review process does the publisher go through?

Evaluating information Date of publication When was the information published? When was it last revised? Is this date appropriate for the information?

Evaluating Information Content Is the presentation easy to follow? What is the intended audience? What is the source of the information? Original research Review of research by others Overview of topic Someone’s opinion Is there a bibliography? Can it easily be checked? If research or survey results are cited, is the methodology for obtaining this information cited? Is this method appropriate? Have the results been replicated?

Questions for Internet Publication Author/Publisher Are there easily found links to contact the author? Does the author respond to contacts? Quickly? Is there a link to information about the author?

Questions for Internet Publication Contents Is the site regularly maintained?

Is all information available in print available on the Web? NO. Why Not? Some old material has not yet been converted. Some material will be on the Web shortly but is not available yet. The publisher doesn’t want the material on the Web. Some material is available for a limited time and it’s time has passed.

Academic Freedom and Intellectual Property Intellectual property is stuff that is created by an individual or group that is intellectual in nature, such as a book or poem or drawing. Academic Freedom is the concept that students and teachers can use other’s intellectual property for studying within certain guidelines. Academic Honesty is the concept that if you use other people’s work you should give them credit and not claim the work as your own.

Copyright An author or artist has legal control over distribution of material that they have copyrighted, which is done automatically when it is created. You may register your copyright if you wish to do so. Copyright applies to material in electronic form as well as written form.

Copyright and the Web If I put something on my Web site, you can: Look at it in your browser. Download it to your computer. Put a link to my Web site on your Web page. Unless I have given you permission, you cannot legally: Put it on your Web page. Send/sell/give it to someone else.

Fair Use If you find something on a Web site that is legally there, you can download it for personal use. You can use short excerpts in education, research, criticism, and parody. You may have broader permissions if the author has explicitly given them to you.

What if I put a short clip from a song on my Web site? If you can prove that it is criticism, you might get away with it. If you can’t you could be in trouble. But what if I don’t charge for it? You can still go to jail. But I’m a big fan of XXX and this is free advertising.

Summary Material on a Web site must be evaluated carefully for correctness. Lots of stuff is still not available online and never will be. Stuff on a Web site is not yours and you may not use it except in ways that are legal.

Terminology Academic honesty Bias Copyright Copyright owner Fair use Intellectual property Ownership Plagiarism