Lies, Damned Lies, and Copyright (Mis)Information: Empowering Faculty by Addressing Key Points of Confusion

Abstract

The University of Minnesota Libraries’ Copyright Program surveyed and interviewed faculty, instructors, researchers, librarians, and library employees to document their knowledge of key areas of copyright law that intersect with common academic practices. All respondents were found to have considerable weaknesses and gaps in knowledge around many key issues. The findings show that all campus populations are in need of further education about the complicated issue of fair use. Some of the findings also suggest avenues for improving copyright education efforts, such as targeting misconceptions about the relation of citation to copyright law, and tying instruction on fundamental principles to faculty authors’ ownership interests in their works.