23 Key Concepts
Learning Objectives
- Understand what attribution is
- Understand the difference between attributions and citations
- Understand the four components that should be included in any attribution statement
Attribution
Attribution is giving credit to the original creator of the work, fulfilling the BY license component. Attribution is the minimum requirement of all CC-licenses.
Attribution vs Citation
Attribution is a similar process to citing academic works in a paper, but there are some key differences. The following table [1] outlines some of the ways in which citations and attribution are similar and different:
| Citation | Attribution |
| Purpose is academic (e.g. avoiding plagiarism) | Purpose is legal (e.g. following licensing regulations) |
| Does NOT typically include licensing information for the work | Typically includes licensing information for the work |
| Used to quote or paraphrase a limited portion of a work | Used to quote or paraphrase all or a portion of a work |
| Can paraphrase, but cannot typically change the work’s meaning | Can change the work under Fair Use or with advance permission (e.g., under most CC licenses) |
| Many citation styles are available (e.g., APA, Chicago, and MLA) |
Attribution statement styles are still emerging, but there are some defined best practices |
| Cited resources are typically placed in a reference list | Attribution statements are typically found near the work used (e.g., below an image) |
Required Components for Attribution [2]
| Component | Description |
| Title | Title of the work |
| Author | Author of the work. List all authors. |
| Source | URL for the work |
| License | The license for the work |
Attribution
This chapter was adapted from the following:
Abbey Elder from “Citation vs. Attribution” by Lauri Aesoph, licensed CC BY 4.0. ↵
Creative Commons. Creative Commons Certificate for Educators, Academic Librarians and GLAM, 2022. https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/ ↵
- This table was adapted by Abbey Elder from "Citation vs. Attribution" by Lauri Aesoph, licensed CC BY 4.0. ↵
- Creative Commons. Creative Commons Certificate for Educators, Academic Librarians and GLAM, 2022. https://certificates.creativecommons.org/cccertedu/ ↵
Giving credit to the original creator of the work, fulfilling the the BY license component. Attribution is the minimum requirement of all CC-licenses.
