It’s a win-win! So how do you go about citing your sources? This is a significant distinction, and generally means you are welcome to report and discuss ideas and facts in your own words.Ĭlear as mud? When all else fails, use your common sense, and err on the side of caution.Īttribution is all about giving credit where credit is due – and providing your readers with a greater experience by offering them more information. A common rule of thumb when considering whether a quote is substantial, is that quality is deemed more important than quantity.Īnother important note about copyright is that it only applies to the material form of an idea, fact or style – not the actual idea, fact or style itself. ‘Quoting’ does not give you, or anyone else, permission to copy and paste entire paragraphs. It’s pretty vague, but trust your intuition on quotes. Generally speaking, you can use quotes that may not be considered a substantial part of the original work, with substantial being defined as essential, distinctive or important. This is of particular importance if you want to quote sources and ideas on your blog. There are a number of exceptions to copyright infringement – chiefly use that is considered ‘fair use’ or ‘fair dealing’ for the purposes of criticism, review, parody, research and reporting. It applies to literary works such as books, articles, song lyrics and blog posts artistic works like paintings and graphic art as well as films, sound recordings, and a whole host of other creative works. The duration of copyright is generally for the lifetime of the creator, plus an additional 70 years, and in most countries copyright protection is automatic – meaning copyright automatically applies as soon as a work is created. And it’s blog-savvy to direct your readers to more information.Īlways assume that the works of others are protected by copyright, until you are able to confirm otherwise. It’s good mojo to link back to their site or original article. If you’re discussing someone else’s works or ideas, it’s polite to recognise them as a source. Citing your sources is just good blogging etiquette. But it’s not just a matter of following the law and avoiding punishment for sneaky deeds online… like passing someone else’s ideas off as your own (which, by the way, is a big no-no). As blogging and online forms of writing and disseminating information have become more popular, the so-called ‘grey area’ of how copyright law applies to contemporary online spaces has come under greater legal scrutiny.īloggers have been legally pursued, and at times prosecuted, for copyright infringements and defamation.

Are you citing sources for your blog? Giving a shout-out to the bloggers who have paved the way for your latest post with other great resources? Offering your readers more quality information?īlogging is commonly considered an informal space – but that doesn’t mean the rules of copyright don’t apply.

Citing sources in word