DISCLAIMER
Information on this page is not legal advice. It is intended only for general information purposes. If you need additional assistance, please contact Vanderbilt’s Copyright Clearance Services Office.
It is your responsibility to secure permission to use copyrighted materials in your courses.
Find out if you already have electronic access to the article
Vanderbilt Libraries: Using your VUNet login, check to see if you can access the article electronically. From Eskind Library’s home page, conduct searches in the following databases (if you don’t find your article in one, search the others since they access unique holdings):
- Digital Library
- Acorn
- PubMed (some articles in PubMed are accessible for free on the web)
Web: You might also be able to find the article freely available on the web, for example via the publisher’s or the author’s website or blog, or through a professional organization, a school or a government agency. Simply provide a link to that page, and remember to check the link periodically to make sure the page is still active.
Get permission to use the article if necessary
If you can’t find access to the article, or you want to provide access to a book or a book chapter, you will need to request permission. Be ready to provide:
- a complete citation
- the number of students that will use the work
- how it will be accessed, and
- the length of time it will be available
Vanderbilt Copyright Clearance Services Office can help you set up an Electronic Reserve area that students can access via your online course. The online E-Reserve instructions and request form are located athttp://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/copyright/ereserves.shtml
You may also contact Josie French in UME Course Support for assistance with copyright clearance at josephine.h.french@Vanderbilt.Edu.
In some cases, for example if you know the copyright holder personally, you may request permission directly from him or her. If you are granted permission to use the work for your course, be sure to keep a hard copy for your records.
NOTE: There is usually a fee charged for granting permission to use copyrighted works. Be ready to provide a center number or other appropriate billing information to the person assisting you with copyright clearance.
In VSTAR Learn
Provide a link to the article online whenever possible. Uploading the article to your course requires that copyright be cleared (permission granted).
In addition, add a copyright statement to pages containing links to copyrighted works. This is an example:
| The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproduction of copyrighted material… the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user … uses a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. No further transmission or electronic distribution of this material is permitted. |
NOTE: Make sure your students know they will need to log in to access electronic articles from the Vanderbilt Libraries.