Responsible Use of Electronic Resources
The University of Washington Libraries provides users with thousands of electronic resources (databases, abstracts, e-journals, full text, etc.) costing millions of dollars each year.
For each resource, the Libraries signs legally binding license agreements that stipulate how and by whom they may be used. If license terms are violated, vendors can suspend access for the entire University community permanently!
You can help by adhering to “good practice” and avoiding improper use. Here are some good rules of thumb:
Responsible Use Guidelines
- Making limited print or electronic copies (such as a single article or book chapter)
- Using for personal, instructional, or research needs
- Sharing with UW faculty, staff, and students
- Posting links to specific content
- Always acknowledge sources for published or unpublished resources
- Systematic or substantial printing, copying, or downloading (entire journal issues or books)
- Use of content with AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.
- Use of content with text and data mining tools.
- Selling, re-distributing, or providing content to an employer
- Sharing with people other than UW faculty, staff, and students
- Posting content to web sites or listservs where no authentication is required
- Modifying, altering, or creating derivative works
See specific guidelines for Responsible Use of Business Databases
Common License Terms
- Those allowed to use the product. Typically includes currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff of the University of Washington.
- “Walk-ins” (non-UW) may be included but only when present in a library facility
Right to use limited portions of print or electronic copies of licensed materials in collections or compilations assembled for use by students in a class/for instruction only
Right to use limited portions of print or electronic copies of licensed materials in collections or compilations assembled for use by students in a class/for instruction only.
- Permitted: Electronic materials must be secured and never made available on the open web.
- Prohibited: use links. Instructors may NOT upload a copy of the licensed materials to Canvas or another course management system; must use a link to the document requiring users to authenticate.
Users may display, download, or digitally copy a reasonable portion of the licensed materials for scholarly research or private study only.
Users may provide links to the licensed materials (in Canvas/other course management systems) or web pages where users must authenticate.
Affirms fair use rights under U.S. Copyright law (17 USC Section 107).
Users may print a reasonable portion of the licensed materials for scholarly research or private study only.
A selected amount of material needed for the purposes of scholarly research or private study only. This amount may be specified by the licensor or may be defined within the scope of “Fair Use” in Section 107 of the Copyright Act.
- Permitted: Users may distribute a copy of individual articles of the licensed materials in print or electronic form to a colleague for research, teaching, or educational purposes only.
- Prohibited: Distributing a copy of individual articles is allowed ONLY with other University of Washington authorized users.