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Michigan State University

Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS)

Guidelines for Acceptable Use

Notice to users of licensed database: "WHARTON RESEARCH DATA SERVICES (WRDS)"
Prohibition of commercial use, and guidelines for acceptable use

The MSU Libraries subscribe to licensed database products to support the educational and research needs of library users. In some cases, these databases are educational versions of commercial products. Users are advised that access to these materials is controlled by license agreements: violation of license terms by individual library users potentially jeopardizes future campus access for all students and faculty, and exposes violaters to sanctions.

The content of this database is made available only for the individual educational and research purposes of authorized users. By proceeding to the database itself, you as the user are indicating that you are aware of the following terms and conditions, and agree to conduct your use of this material accordingly.

Uses that are allowed:

You may use the database for purposes of academic research or private study only.
You may browse and search the database, and display its contents on the screen.
You may make and save a digital copy of limited extracts from the database for academic purposes.
You may print out copies of limited extracts from the database for academic purposes.
You may reproduce or quote limited portions of the database contents for reports, essays, projects, and similar materials created for academic purposes, with appropriate acknowledgement of the source (such as footnotes, endnotes or other citations).
These limited extracts may be shared with other academic users.

Uses that are NOT allowed:

  • You may not sell or otherwise re-distribute data to third parties without express permission. This includes but is not limited to posting on public sources like Google Docs, Tableau, etc.
  • You may not use the database or any part of the information comprised in the database content for commercial research, for example, research that is done under a funding or consultant contract, internship, or other relationship in which the results are delivered to a for-profit organization.
  • You may not engage in bulk reproduction or distribution of the licensed materials in any form.
  • You may not engage in extensive downloading or copying of content.
  • You may not use automated searching or querying, including, but not limited to, the use of spiders or other external software for text and data mining.
  • You may not store a vast amount of data on your personal computers.

Under some circumstances, violation of these guidelines could lead to loss of your right to use the campus network, in accord with MSU's Statement on Acceptable Use of Computing Systems (http://www.msu.edu/au/).

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