Exploring Faculty Knowledge and Perceptions of Copyright at U.S. Dental Schools: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Intellectual Property Law

Background:

• Copyright training and support for faculty in North American dental schools are not well understood.
• Faculty knowledge and attitudes regarding copyright issues significantly impact ethical and legal compliance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate current copyright training and support for faculty at North American dental schools.
• To examine dental faculty members' knowledge and attitudes concerning copyright law and fair use.

Main Methods:

• A 2015 survey was distributed to dental school faculty, including true/false questions for knowledge assessment and scenario-based questions for ethical and compliance evaluation.
• The survey collected data on faculty comfort with their own and colleagues' understanding and application of copyright issues.
• Analysis focused on 61 faculty respondents from U.S. dental schools.

Main Results:

• Dental faculty expressed higher confidence in their own copyright and fair use knowledge compared to their colleagues'.
• Both knowledge and attitudes were crucial in copyright-related decision-making, with varying reliance on each.
• A significant majority (88%) of respondents indicated openness to receiving additional copyright training.

Conclusions:

• Faculty development programs should integrate ethical considerations and permissible uses of copyright, not just violations.
• Addressing both factual knowledge and attitudes is essential for effective copyright education in dental schools.
• Enhanced training can improve faculty understanding and application of copyright law.