Overview
General Guidelines
Academic best practices stipulate that any content taken from another source, whether it be taken verbatim or paraphrased, needs to be appropriately acknowledged based on its license. Doing so not only demonstrates to students that we take academic responsibility seriously but also helps us avoid the negative legal consequences associated with plagiarism. The following content provides a guide for how to approach the requirement to give credit where it is due.
Permissions: Confirm the copyright status of all third-party content (text, images, videos, multimedia, etc.) used in a course. WGU’s use of the content may not always be deemed by the copyright holder as noncommercial use or deemed protected under an educational fair use defense. Even if there is language in the terms and conditions or license that states the content is allowed for "noncommercial, educational use," contact WGU Legal (legal@wgu.edu) for clarification.
If the rights to use a resource are not clearly identified in the terms of use, work with WGU Legal to ask the copyright holder for permission to use the content.
Linking and embedding content: You may only embed the content if there is express permission granting you the right to embed it in WGU materials and courses. Linking requires no such permission unless there is express language prohibiting linking or requiring permission to link. Work with Legal to determine if the terms of use allow you to link or embed.
Public domain content: Confirm permissions with Legal before using content deemed to be in public domain. Content from government sites is not always in the public domain. It depends on the government entity. The terms and conditions of the content should be reviewed.
Quoted and paraphrased content: Quoting or paraphrasing content in a way that is substantially similar to the original work will likely require permission from the content owner.
Multiple pages from one source: When the course uses multiple pages from one general resource, do not include an attribution or reference for each page individually. Only include an attribution or reference for the main resource. For example, include a reference for the main home page of a website rather than the individual web pages from that website.
Images: Generally, even if there is no copyright symbol or notice on content, images are likely still protected by copyright laws. For images that require permission, simply including an attribution or reference does not meet legal requirements. Some image aggregators may have their own special license, so make sure to review the terms of use for each image. Image owners are increasingly monitoring the internet and tracking use of their images, so please be aware even minimal use may be detected and possibly lead to legal action against WGU.
Derivatives of images: WGU may only alter a copyright-protected image with permission. Even if permission is received, an appropriate attribution or reference is still required. For images that are copyrighted, the image does not lose its copyright when it is altered. In most cases, altering an image in any way would be a violation of the copyright because such alteration would be considered making a derivative work, which is an exclusive right of the copyright owner.
For images with a CC license or another open license, check the license to determine what modifications are and are not allowed.
Recreating an image found in another resource is considered a derivative of the work. This would violate the owner's copyright unless WGU receives permission from the owner or the image is licensed to allow derivatives.
Previously created derivatives: If an acquired image has been previously modified, WGU must attribute the original creator and whoever is providing the modified version. The original attribution must be included verbatim. If WGU further modifies the image, it should also be noted in the attribution.
Terminology
Attribution: Acknowledgment of the original creator and work of an open resource. At a minimum, it should include the title, creator, and license type, with corresponding links. You must also note if you have modified the content.
Citation: In-text identification of quoted or paraphrased content that is not from an open resource. WGU uses APA style for citations.
Copyright: Copyright is the exclusive legal right of content creators for their literary, artistic, or musical material that is fixed in a tangible form. Permission is needed from the copyright holder to copy, print, publish, perform, train from, film, or record using this material.
Creative Commons (CC): An organization that has created copyright licenses for open resources. There are multiple licenses that define how the content can be used, modified, and shared. A copyright owner may choose to apply a CC license to their materials—but not all open resources have a CC license.
DAMS: WGU’s Digital Asset Management System, which stores course assets such as images, videos, and online textbooks.
Derivative: A derivative is content that was altered, modified, or changed in any way, such as using an image to create another image or altering the colors of the image.
Open educational resources (OER): Any materials (courses, books, articles, images, etc.) a copyright owner identifies as being available for use without a fee; usage must follow the restrictions of the license.
Primary resource: Resources with content that is required for a student to know to be competent.
Reference: Credit that includes information to find the original source material. References are used to identify copyright-protected resources in a WGU course. WGU uses APA 7 style for references unless the source requires a different reference format.
References
General Guidelines
Use of: Use a citation or reference (not an attribution) to identify copyright-protected content that is not from an open resource.
Style: Citations and references should be formatted in APA 7 style unless the source requires its own citation or reference format.
For quotes that can reasonably be expected to appear in many different places (e.g., poems, famous literary works), the citation should include the author's name and the title of the work.
Example:
Robert Frost, "Fire and Ice"
Do not include hyperlinks in citations and references. If a resource does not include a date, use "n.d." for "no date."
Note: Content created by WGU employees or contracted subject matter experts (SMEs) for WGU projects is copyright protected and owned by WGU. SMEs are not given individual credit for their content.
Additional resources: See the examples of commonly used references below for examples. For additional support, please use the following resources:
Reference builders are generally not 100% accurate; therefore, it is not recommended that you use them. This includes the Citation Machine that is advertised on Purdue OWL. These builders may be a good starting point for creating a reference, but if you do use one, carefully check the output to ensure it adheres to APA style.
WGU content and assessments should not be uploaded to the Citation Machine (or similar plagiarism checkers) because of security concerns with this site's terms of use. Only use these builders to create references for specific resources.
Examples of Commonly Used References in APA 7
This section provides examples of how to write a full APA reference for the types of resources most often used in WGU courses. The information below is from APA 7th edition, the APA Style Blog, and the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).
The date may be in one of the following formats, depending on the resource: Year; Year, Month; or Year, Month Day. If a resource does not include a date, use "n.d." for "no date."
Remember, WGU does not include hyperlinks in APA references to minimize the maintenance needed for those links.
Article from an Online Periodical
Online articles follow the same guidelines for printed articles. Include all the information the online host makes available, including the issue number in parentheses.
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Online Periodical, volume number(issue number if available). http://www.address.com/full/url/
Book
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (X ed.). Publisher.
If the edition number is included, it is written as an ordinal number (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). Do not superscript the letters in the ordinal numbers.
On the Course Resource page only, include the ISBN at the end of the reference, with a colon after "ISBN" and no period at the end. Do not include the digit number (i.e., ISBN 10 or ISBN 13).
Courses (SkillSoft, LinkedIn Learning, Pluralsight)
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of course or video [Format description]. Platform. http://www.address.com/full/url/
Electronic Book
The following style is used for books that are only available in a digital format:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (X ed.). http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Newspaper Article from an Online Newspaper
An online newspaper prints a newspaper in addition to publishing it to a website (e.g., The New York Times, The Washington Post).
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Newspaper. http://www.address.com/full/url/
Newspaper Article from an Online News Website
An online news website has an online presence only, with no printed version (e.g., CNN, Bloomberg, Reuters, Vox).
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of News Organization. http://www.address.com/full/url/
Social Media
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of work [Format description]. Media platform. http://www.address.com/full/url/
TED Talk Video
Provide the URL to the video so the user will be taken to TED Talk platform. Use the following style if the video is viewed on the TED Talk site:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Ted Conferences. http://www.address.com/full/url/
Use the following style if the video is viewed on YouTube:
TED. (Year, Month Day). Name of speaker: Title of video [Video]. YouTube. http://www.address.com/full/url/
Note: If the video is on YouTube, include the TED organization as the author. Also use the date the organization posted it to YouTube. This may be different from the date of the presentation.
YouTube Video
Provide the link to the video so the user will be taken to YouTube platform. If the user’s real name is not available, include the screen name:
Author, A. A. [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Screen name. (year, month day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Web pages
Author, A. A. (Date of publication). Title of web page. Website Name. http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Note: If the author is an organization, put the organization’s name as the author and do not include it as the website name.
Attributions
Requirements: Attributions for CC or open resources must meet the following minimum requirements:
- You must clearly identify the content used.
- You must note if you have modified the content.
- The attribution must be easy to access—the attribution should appear on the same page as the content.
- The attribution should include the title, date, author, source, and license, with links for each as available. If all the information is not available, the attribution must at least list the date, source, and license and include links to each.
- The attribution should include hyperlinks to the content, creator, and license. Do not use LRPS links within attributions.
Example:
"Concepts of Biology by Rice University Textbook Resources for Biology II," Feb. 7 2024, by Amanda Brammer is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 / A derivative from the original work
Specific requirements: If the content has a license indicating that changes were made before being used by WGU, that indication of previous modifications must also be included in the attribution.
Additionally, some content creators may require that specific information is used in the attribution. If any of the following information is given by the content provider, the information must be included verbatim in the attribution:
- identification of the content creator(s) and anyone else who is identified as someone who should receive attribution
- a copyright notice
- a notice that refers to any disclaimer of warranties
Check the creator's website or profile page on the site where you found the content to determine whether any of the above items need to be included in the attribution.
Make sure the creator is not making any requests that change the terms of the CC license. If this is the case, contact WGU Legal and they can help guide you through those requests.
Creative Commons licenses: The use of content with a Creative Commons license requires an attribution. If an attribution is not included, the license is terminated and WGU may be liable for copyright infringement.
Editing of CC content: If the CC license allows for modifications, content should be edited to adhere to the WGU style guide. The attribution should then indicate that the text was modified.
Content with a No Derivatives license (either CC BY-ND or CC BY-NC-ND) cannot be altered to match the WGU style guide without getting permission from the rights holder.
Third-party content in an open resource: Learning resources with a CC license permitting WGU’s use might include and identify third-party content (such as images, graphics, and text) as not covered by the resource’s CC license. To determine whether WGU must seek permission for use, examine the terms of the third-party copyright license.
Example 1:
An open resource licensed under a CC license “except as otherwise noted” includes a third-party photo with separate license language. The language does not permit WGU’s use of the photo. WGU would need to seek permission for use from the photo owner. WGU’s Legal department can provide further guidance and assist with seeking permission for use.
Example 2:
An open resource licensed under a CC license “except as otherwise noted,” includes a third- party photo with license terms allowing WGU’s intended use of the photo. WGU does not need to seek permission for use.
Additional resources: The following resources provide detailed information on Creative Commons, attributions, and open resources:
- Creative Commons
- Creative Commons Licenses
- "Best Practices for Attribution" from Creative Commons
- "Citation vs. Attribution" from BCcampus Open Education
- Open Attribution Builder from Open Washington
Examples of Attributions for Open Resources
This section provides examples of how to write attributions for some common uses of Creative Commons (CC) content and other open resources in WGU courses, such as content from open education resources (OERs). Note that the examples in this section may not be representative of all types of attribution. Check with a reliable attribution builder and verify the accuracy of your attribution independent of this guide. The attribution builder from Open Washington is a good resource to create a basic attribution that may require few corrections. As for citations, when a publication or upload date is not available, use "n.d." for "no date."
For modified content, you must include that you modified the content at the end of the attribution that is built.
Copied, Quoted, or Paraphrased Open Resource Text
Template:
This text is taken from section of text used from "Linked Name of Text" by Linked Author Name or Screen Name, (Publication Date), Linked Name of Organization, which is licensed under Linked License Type
Example:
This text is taken from Chapter 6 of "Anatomy and Physiology of Animals" by Ruth Lawson, (2015), Wikibooks, which is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Example:
"Heating & Cooling" by Andy R. Thompson, (2017), Wikibooks is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Note: This citation is still correct despite the author's name not having a link. This is because all possible information and links are provided, including the minimum required information on and links to the source and license. (See Requirements under Attributions)
Modified Open Resource Text
Any permitted modifications to an open text must be noted in the attribution. If only typos are fixed, it is not necessary to note these changes.
Template:
This text is based on a version of section of text used from "Linked Name of Text" by Linked Author Name or Screen Name, (Publication Date), Linked Name of Organization, which is licensed under Linked License Type and has been modified by WGU
Example:
This text is based on a version of the "Preface" from Art History, (n.d.), by Wikibooks, which is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and has been modified by WGU
Please also note that if any modifications were made prior to WGU’s use of the content and those modifications were referenced in the license information, reference to past modifications must also be maintained.
Example:
This text is based on a version of the "Preface" from Art History (n.d.), by Wikibooks, which is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, was modified by Google Books, and has been modified by WGU
Linking to Open Resource Text
Provide an attribution when linking to an open resource within the course text. The attribution must appear on the same page.
Template:
"Linked Name of Text" by Linked Author Name or Screen Name, (Publication Date), Linked Name of Organization is licensed under Linked License Type
Example:
Read Chapter 4 of Anatomy and Physiology of Animals, (2015), by Ruth Lawson.
Attribution at the Bottom of the Page:
"Anatomy and Physiology of Animals" by Ruth Lawson, Wikibooks is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Embedding or Linking to CC YouTube Video
Template:
"Linked Video Title" from Linked YouTube Channel is licensed under Linked License Type
Example:
Watch "Chihuahua Puppies Quiet Time (in HD)" from Outstanding Videos.
Attribution at the Bottom of the Page:
"Chihuahua Puppies Quiet Time (in HD)" from Outstanding Videos is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Note: The prior attribution should state whether WGU modified the content in any way.
Open Resource Template
If WGU creates a figure or table using data from a licensed open resource or public domain resource, use the following attribution format:
"Linked Name of Image" by WGU is licensed under Linked License Type / Data source: Linked Name of Data Source, licensed under Linked License Type, Modifications, if any, and any additional required information.
Public Domain Resource Template
"Linked Name of Image" by WGU is licensed under Linked License Type / Data source: Linked Name of Data Source, is in the Public Domain.
