Adu and van der Walt (2021)

Source Details

Adu and van der Walt (2021)
Title:	Effects of awareness of user rights on compliance with copyright laws and policies in academic libraries
Author(s):	Adu, T.L., van der Walt, T.B.
Year:	2021
Citation:	Adu, T.L. and van der Walt, T.B. (2021) Effects of awareness of user rights on compliance with copyright laws and policies in academic libraries. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(4)
Link(s):	Definitive
Key Related Studies:	Pedley (2003) Ferullo (2004) Adler et al. (2010) Morrison and Secker (2015) Adeyinka and Oyeyemi (2017)
Discipline:	O34: Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital
Linked by:

About the Data
Data Description:	The study adopted sequential explanatory mixed methods to gather data, including qualitative and quantitative data from interviews, focus groups and questionnaires. Data were gathered from 530 postgraduate students and 4 head librarians in Ghana. Data was analysed using cross-tabulation, correlation, and thematic content analysis.
Data Type:	Primary data
Secondary Data Sources:
Data Collection Methods:	Survey Research (quantitative; e.g. sales/income reporting) Semi-Structured Interview Focus Groups
Data Analysis Methods:	Correlation and Association Textual Content Analysis
Industry(ies):	Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities
Country(ies):	Ghana
Cross Country Study?:	No
Comparative Study?:	No
Literature review?:	No
Government or policy study?:	No
Time Period(s) of Collection:
Funder(s):

Abstract

“The complexities and ambiguities of copyright laws influence compliance for librarians and patrons of academic libraries. The study investigated the relationship between awareness of copyright laws, particularly user rights, and the level of compliance in academic libraries in Ghana. The sequential explanatory mixed methods approach was employed for data collection from 530 postgraduate students, and 4 head librarians of two public and two private universities using questionnaires, focus group discussion and qualitative interview sessions. Awareness of copyright laws and policies generally influenced copyright compliance. However compliance was differently influenced by awareness of different aspects of the copyright laws and policies. Awareness of user rights positively influenced compliance of copyright laws and policies. The positive influence of awareness of user rights on compliance implies that copyright educators, in seeking to address the increasing levels of copyright violations in academic libraries, will do well to promote user rights.”

Main Results of the Study

• Overall, awareness of copyright laws or policies only marginally improves levels of compliance with them. Students cite various reasons for not complying with copyright laws, even when made aware of them, including the lack of a monitoring system or punitive consequences for infringement, and the high cost and lack of available educational resources which makes compliance difficult.
• Levels of compliance are higher where students are made aware of specific provisions, particularly on copyright exceptions and limitations, public domain materials, and the fair use doctrine.

Policy Implications as Stated By Author

[[Has intervention-response::Whilst the study does not explicitly state any policy recommendations, it suggests that ‘strategies to promote awareness of the exceptions and limitations provisions of the copyright laws [are needed] in academic libraries’.]]

Coverage of Study

Coverage of Fundamental Issues

Issue	Included within Study
Relationship between protection (subject matter/term/scope) and supply/economic development/growth/welfare
Relationship between creative process and protection - what motivates creators (e.g. attribution; control; remuneration; time allocation)?
Harmony of interest assumption between authors and publishers (creators and producers/investors)
Effects of protection on industry structure (e.g. oligopolies; competition; economics of superstars; business models; technology adoption)
Understanding consumption/use (e.g. determinants of unlawful behaviour; user-generated content; social media)

Coverage of Evidence Based Policies

Issue	Included within Study
Nature and Scope of exclusive rights (hyperlinking/browsing; reproduction right)
Exceptions (distinguish innovation and public policy purposes; open-ended/closed list; commercial/non-commercial distinction)
Mass digitisation/orphan works (non-use; extended collective licensing)
Licensing and Business models (collecting societies; meta data; exchanges/hubs; windowing; crossborder availability)
Fair remuneration (levies; copyright contracts)
Enforcement (quantifying infringement; criminal sanctions; intermediary liability; graduated response; litigation and court data; commercial/non-commercial distinction; education and awareness)

Datasets

Sample size:	530
Level of aggregation:	Individual
Period of material under study:	Unknown