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LS 1020 Course Materials: Use

Introduction to Information Research

Use

 

Highway sign that points right or wrong

Information Ethics

When researching, you use the work of others to expand your knowledge and develop your ideas. When you write a paper or make a proposal, you become a creator, just like the people whose work you build upon. That means you have responsibilities to your fellow creators as well as yourself when it comes to using information ethically.

Part of using information ethically requires you to give credit to others via citation. Using another’s work without proper attribution is plagiarism, which can have several consequences to your work, your career, and your credibility.

Many works are legally protected via copyright, so the ways in which you can use them is limited. However, many materials are also available via open access, which means creators specify in what ways their works can be used. Because you are creating something new and interacting with others, it is also important to maintain netiquette and participate as a digital citizen.