UD LibGuides Style Guide

Copyright law exists to promote the creation of new, original material by protecting the rights and incentives of those who create content.

Original content is copyrighted at the instant it becomes fixed in a tangible medium. Creators no longer have to register a copyright to receive protection against unlawful use--it is automatic.

The doctrine of Fair Use, however, limits the exclusive rights of the copyright owner and makes reasonable public access to copyrighted works available for limited purposes. Determining what constitutes Fair Use in a specific situation can be difficult. Section 107 of the copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) specifies four factors that are balanced together when determining whether a use is Fair or not:

1. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
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

The following guidelines may be helpful:

• Images found on the Internet (Google Images, et cetera) might not be placed there legally. Visit websites created specifically for public domain images (no longer protected by copyright) and Creative Commons images where permission for use is granted by rights owners.
• Images from ARTstor and OhioLINK are legally available for campus educational use.
• If you scan images from books and magazines, keep track of where you found the images. If you are going to use the same image every time you teach a course, it would be best to obtain a commercially-available image and the legal permission to use it.
• Abide by rights owners' stated terms and conditions when you find images you would like to use.
• Make use of tools to help you evaluate copyright status and likelihood of Fair Use.

Resources:

Primary research articles

• are original scientific reports of new research findings
  • do not include review articles, which summarize the research literature on a particular subject, or articles using meta-analyses, which analyze pre-published data
• usually include the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, References
• are peer-reviewed (examined by expert(s) in the field before publication)
  • a peer-reviewed article is not the same as a review article, which summarizes the research literature on a particular subject

Secondary sources

• are summaries or interpretations of original research – not the original research itself
• are often useful and easier-to-read summaries of research in an area
• references or citations can point the way to useful primary research articles.
• acceptable formats may include books (find these through the library catalog) and review articles (articles which organize and critically analyze the research of others on a topic)
• blogs, YouTube videos, newspaper articles, book reviews, press releases and .com websites are NOT among formats usually appropriate as sources in scientific research

The University Libraries building is closed, but our services and many of our collections are accessible online.

We will do everything we can to support your research needs remotely. Librarians are available through our online chat service and email during scheduled hours. You can also request an appointment with a librarian and meet via Zoom, chat or telephone. We can also assist with using the online catalog, searching for e-books, accessing digital collections, or searching hundreds of databases. This guide was built to help you quickly find online resources available to you remotely.

If you have any questions, refer back to the University Libraries website, or ask us. 

Frequently Used Services & Resources 

• UDiscover:  Find articles, books, and more
• A-Z Database Page: A page of all library databases with links
• Find e-journals by title or ISSN
• Library catalog:  Find ebooks, government documents, and more
• University Libraries website
• Get Help / Chat with a Librarian
• Request Roesch Library books: To place a hold, click the "request" button in the library catalog

Keywords are the terms that you type into the search box in a library database.  They are the essential terms for your idea, the most important words describing your topic. 

Before you can begin searching for information in a resource, you need to identify keywords related to your topic. 

Key terminology can be be found by scanning:

• Your initial research questions
• In-class readings
• Background research articles from encyclopedias, news articles, popular magazines, etc.
• Bibliographies found at the end of books and articles
• Specialized vocabulary or terms authors in the field of study are using
• Think of related, broader, and narrower terms connected to each of the key concepts.

Use subject terms assigned to works in library catalogs or research databases.

Once you have identified keywords, use the following techniques to build search strings for searching in library catalogs, databases, and search engines to quickly find more relevant sources to use in your research:

You can search multiple databases at once. In an EBSCO database (as shown above), click Choose Databases to select resources that may be relevant to your research. NOTE that the image above is simply a picture and does not have search functionality.

Some databases you may want to search simultaneously are: Academic Search Complete, APA PsycInfo, Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text, Legal Collection, National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts, Political Science Complete, and/or SocINDEX

Once you find a citation that looks interesting, click on the Find It! icon to see if the article is available. The article may be ...

1. Available in Print.  Our journals are available for request to check out at Roesch Library.  Be sure to note the journal name, article title, volume number, issue number, pages, and year of publication. Request through the library catalog or ask at the Services desk.
2. Available Electronically.  If an article is available online, you will see a yellow highlighted section on the top, left side of the screen.  Click on the yellow highlighted words.  From the next display, look for a PDF link. 
3. Not available.  If an article is not available in print or online, you may order an article through interlibrary loan.  On the right side of the screen, click on "Request this item through interlibrary loan" and a new tab will open to UD's Interlibrary Loan page. If you have not previously registered, you will need to complete an initial form.  Repeat the steps to request an article.