Dear colleagues,
I have searched the Lis-Medical archives for discussions related to reference management software like Zotero and Mendeley.
I found some useful discussion about how popular these (and other) reference managers are.
But my concern is around Copyright.
Personally I have been using both Zotero and Mendeley, mainly out of convenience... The main convenience being that they are both free to use (unless you want to increase your online storage and 'Group' sizes)
I use both because:
- I want to become familiar with more than one application
- I try to remain somewhat impartial if/whenever library users ask about reference management software
Now, I've come to realise that these reference managers have some very useful features.
- Both ref managers allow you to store your collected materials - journal articles - in the 'Cloud'. These means you can access and read your materials from wherever you have an internet connection.
- Both provide the user with an option to create groups to collaborate and share their references.
Isn't that clever? Like minded groups can share links to research and publications they have found useful. Fantastic.
(I wonder if any of you use this feature as a library?)
But there's more - these reference management sites/tools also provide users/groups the opportunity to share PDF copies of journal articles too. So, effectively, I can give you access to articles I have uploaded and stored in my cloud and visa-versa.
Okay so, library head off for a moment... Student head on. (Worzel Gummidge style)
I think this is fantastic. As a students/researchers you and I can get access to articles that we might otherwise have to request from our library or pay for.
With Library head back on again - here's my niggling doubts and questions...
Am I breaching any terms of copyright by sharing articles in this way?
Perhaps not - if the article was freely accessible on the internet anyway (assuming it hadn't been put there by doctors/medical students for a poster presentation.
But what if the article was otherwise protected - something I (or my library) had purchased access to?
I'd be interested to hear (read) your thoughts on this.
Best regards,
David Cleland
Knowledge Services Administrator
Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
|