Researchers
In this section you will find user-friendly information sheets and FAQs relevant for Researchers.
Related Info Sheets
Related FAQs
I copied some really useful material for a research project. These might be useful to other people as well, so can I make copies to give to libraries that might be interested in them?
You may be able to give the copies you made to a library, but the “fair dealing exceptions” are not likely to apply to allow you to make further copies for other (currently unknown) researchers.
In some cases, however, the library may be entitled to make copies of material it acquires as part of its collection, under, for example, the library provisions or section 200AB.
I have copied material for research I’m doing for a project. Can I donate the copies to a library once I’ve finished with them?
If you have used material for a fair dealing purpose such as for research and study, there is no copyright issue with handing the project incorporating that material over to someone else.
In some cases, however, a library might want to take steps to mark the material clearly, so if questioned in the future, it is able to establish the basis on which it came to acquire copies.
How much can I copy from a newspaper?
Provided you are copying for research or study, you can copy a whole article from a newspaper or magazine, and you can copy other articles from the same edition of the newspaper or magazine if you need them for the same research or course of study. You may also be able to copy a photograph from a newspaper or magazine if it is not separately available for purchase. Copying all or most of the newspaper or magazine is unlikely to be fair if it is available for purchase.
If a book is no longer published, can I copy the whole book for my research?
Generally, yes. However, if you are aware that it is about to be republished within a reasonable time, it is unlikely you can copy the whole book.
Can I copy material from the internet for research?
You should first check the website for any statements about copyright which apply to the material you want to copy – the copyright owner may expressly allow you to print and/or download material, possibly under stated conditions. Otherwise, you may print and/or save material to disk if:
it is for your research or study; and
the copying is fair.
The special research exception is unlikely to apply if you supplying copies (e.g. by email) to people unconnected with your research or study.
Can I copy material onto my own disk from a CD-ROM?
You should first check the CD-ROM licence to see what it allows people using the CD-ROM to do, and what it expressly prohibits. If there is nothing in the licence agreement which limits what you can copy, you may copy or print material from a CD-ROM, if:
it is for your research or study; and
the use is fair.