Five Step Analysis: Step 2
Step 2: Is your access to the work through a subscription or purchased licence?
Any time you log in to access content, the terms of use for the subscription define your responsibilities. These terms of use are a way in which rights-holders pre-authorize certain permitted uses for all the content covered by that subscription or licence. However, such terms of use may restrict distribution of that content to only their fee paying clientele or a specific group of users. Review the terms and conditions of the relevant subscription or licence, if available, prior to reproducing or sharing the material with others.
- U of A Library Licensed Resources (e-Journals, e-Books, etc.)
The U of A Library has numerous agreements with commercial vendors for access to electronic journals, e-books and databases. These resources are generally available to U of A faculty, staff, and students as well as to walk-in library users. For more information on U of A Library licences, see Licensed Library Resources.
While some licences support the sharing of content through a learning management system (LMS) such as eClass, some do not. Due to the variability in licence terms, it is best practice to provide other CCID holders with a persistent (static) hyperlink to the original source instead of copying and sharing the work. For instructions on how to create a persistent link, see Accessing Library Online Resources.
- Personal Subscriptions and Restricted Access Collections
If you have accessed the works through a personal subscription to a restricted-access source, then it is usually intended for the subscriber’s personal use only. Review the terms and conditions of your end user licence agreement before reproducing and sharing content.
************
If your work is covered by a subscription or purchased licence, review and abide by the relevant terms of use. If your intended use simply involves providing a hyperlink to other authorized users or is otherwise permitted under the terms of use, you can proceed with your intended use. Otherwise, proceed to Step 3.
Step 3: Is your intended use of the work allowed under its terms of use?
************