Academic integrity and attributions
Acknowledge the use of content of others
Attribution of authorship is a legal requirement of Moral Rights in the Copyright Act and copied or reproduced works require attribution. Honesty of attribution is a requirement of academic integrity, and of University accrediting bodies as a fundamental value of academic honesty and respect.
Attribution clearly acknowledging the authorship of work prevents claims of plagiarism or copyright infringement, and models good practice for students by acknowledging source for all content - images, videos, cartoons, diagrams, text.
A good rule of thumb - If it is not your work, then it requires an attribution.
"Staff of a provider need to employ correct acknowledgement practice in their teaching when they are using text, images, videos and other artefacts sourced from others. The academic integrity of a course of study may be questioned if unacknowledged use is made of external materials." TEQSA Guidance note to Academic Integrity
Correct attribution includes the components to satisfactorily identify the creator and source of the content, which for many works is the Title, Author, Source, and Licence (TASL) the content was made available under. In cases where not all detail is clear, include as much as is possible.
The format is not specified in the Copyright Act. A formal citation style can be used if a school requirement, or for academic writing. The TASL format is considered adequate in many online areas, and Creative Commons licences require it.
Licence terminology
| Content made available under | Terminology in attribution |
|---|---|
| Permission granted | Used with permission |
| Creative Commons | is licenced under CC 4.0 BY (or licence type) |
| Education licence s.113P | Reproduced under s.113P |
| Database licence allows use | Under licence |
| Content allowed for educational use noted on content | Used with permission |
| Copyright expired or rights waived | Public domain |
| Federation owned | © Federation University |
| Details missing or no copyright owner known | After a diligent search the copyright owner/creator of content cannot been located. Please contact if you have details of copyright owner or creator. |
Place and attribution as close to the copyright material as practically possible. This may be beside or below an item, at the point where the material is shown in a film, as a set of brief notes or full attributions at the end of a presentation or film.
| Medium | Attribution might be positioned |
| Print content – document | Below or beside work, footnote, list of end |
| Photograph, image, graph | Next to, below, or beside. Or in ALT text if nothing else practical |
| Presentations | Next to work, in footer, as a list of credits at end |
| Moodle or other electronic | Next to work, or in footer, list of works at end, in ALT text when hovering |
| Film | At point when item is visible in film, or at end as credits |
| Academic writing | Use advised style |
| Podcasts | Mention the name at point used and in notes on site where content is available. Provide full attribution |
Use any details you have, and note the missing information and method to remedy if information is forthcoming.
"Author details unknown. Unable to identify creator after diligent search."
See Australian Copyright Council Orphan Works guide for more information.
Yes. When you reproduce material which is used in teaching you are required to include details of the rights you are making it available under. Fair Dealing does not apply when making content available to students for teaching.
Students submitting assessments
Students submitting for assessment can omit licence details in some cases if relying on Fair Dealing for research or study which allows limited use without seeking permission or relying on a licence. This exception cannot be used when making material available publicly or to others, and is only for personal use.
Students submitting a thesis
Students submitting a thesis, or content which will then be made publicly available or open access, are required to include the copyright details of the works reproduced and the permission or licence relied upon.
Attributions
All staff and students: Placing material on websites or making publicly available require attribution and licence except where content has been purchased under contract, the copyright has expired, or the author or artist has waived their rights.