Using third-party materials in research
Most material is copyright unless otherwise noted. Just because something is made available online (whether for free or by subscription) does not mean that you are able to take it and reuse it without permission. Scholarly citation practices do not cover reuse of third-party copyright material in a thesis or publication - permission or a licence will need to be sought.
Making third-party copyright material available without permission risks infringement and potential penalties under the Copyright Act. To avoid infringement, copyright material should be used:
- under an exception in the Copyright Act
- under licence
- with permission from the copyright owner (preferably in writing)
- following an requirements or restrictions from the points above.
Need to keep track of copyright materials used in a project or thesis? Access our Copyright Checker spreadsheet.
The webinar video below covers what you should know about reuse of materials in research. You can watch similar videos in our Copyright, licensing and open access for research playlist.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.