Planck's Constant: Copyright

Copyright laws regarding the Internet are still being determined by the courts. I ask permission before posting anything I did not create, or that is not in the public domain. I do not, however, ask permission for excerpts that I link to other sources and which I make available on a non-profit basis for educational and discussion purposes only. In my opinion this constitutes 'fair use' of such copyrighted material.

If you are a copyright owner and you believe that material not specifically authorized by you on my site is not in “fair use” or is not properly credited, it is undoubtedly an oversight on my part which I will happily correct.

I ask that my readers exercise similar respect for the intellectual property rights of others and credit Planck’s Constant or the original source for any material taken from my site that you use in either a printed or electronic form.

Generally, unless an entry specifically lists a source at the bottom of the page the copyright belongs to Planck’s Constant. I ask that any material that is reprinted carry the following tagline with a link back to Planck’s Constant:

If you simply wish to link to my site, no permission is required and I encourage everyone with non-commercial links to do so. I will usually reciprocate and add links of a pertinent nature with the caveat that I only include sites that I determine are useful or interesting or on-topic.

As for photos, where I have been able to determine the source, the photo credit can usually be gotten by mousing over the photo. In most cases, clicking on a photo will usually render a larger image from the very site from which I originally obtained the photo. I host all photos that you see directly on my servers so as not to steal bandwidth from the sources of those photos. If you see a photo that is not properly credited please let me know.

Readers should also be aware that I am often given permission to use someone else’s material, but this does not mean it may reprinted elsewhere without their permission; therefore, you are urged to request permission from the original sources of any material you plan to use.

Wofford College has some instructive advice for students regarding plagiarism and the Internet

For Students

Purdue University's OWL has an excellent description of plagiarism, including the tensions between the need for original work and the requirement to provide background based work by other scholars. Includes a distinction between inadvertent plagiarism and intentional plagiarism, providing suggestions for ways to avoid both.

Writing Tutorial Services at Indiana University Bloomington includes examples of appropriate and inappropriate paraphrasing of material, how to integrate quotations within a paraphrased section, and how to cite material in the text using MLA format. Preventing Plagiarism provides to links on the Internet categorized by subject or audience. Includes links to software and websites that ferret out plagiarized papers.

For Faculty Members

Guide to Plagiarism and Cyber-Plagiarism is an excellent site hosted by the library at the University of Alberta. Includes 2 sections. One is for faculty members about recognizing and teaching about plagiarism. The second is for students, describing the meaning and abuses of plagiarism. Includes a description of how and why students plagiarize and how to combat the different types.

Plagiarism and the Web is an article about the inappropriate use of electronic resources and the Internet by students. Provides guidelines for recognizing plagiarized sections of papers and ways to structure assignments that encourage academic honesty. Includes links to other articles about plagiarism and academic integrity.

A BRIEF CITATION GUIDE FOR INTERNET SOURCES IN HISTORY AND THE HUMANITIES is also useful as a citation guide in other disciplines.

Copyrights and Wrongs - A basic, easy to understand guide to copyrights