There are several different sections of the Copyright Act that may be relevant to you as a student or researcher.
You own the copyright to material that you create as a student or researcher. This won't apply if you have been commissioned or funded by an external agent to create the work.
Under Fair Dealing provisions, you can copy an insubstantial part of a work. What is considered substantial depends on the material you are copying. e.g., you couldn't copy a small, but unique part of a poem, story or musical composition. For more information about Fair Dealing, see the Copyright Licensing of New Zealand handout.
As a student or researcher you can use some media in certain circumstances. For example, you can make a handwritten copy of a literary work for educational purposes. For more information about what you can copy for educational purposes, see the Copyright Licensing of New Zealand handout.
There are also copyright provisions for visual artists, writers, songwriters and composers.
You MUST always acknowledge where you obtained the information from, e.g. by creating an APA reference for the resource that you have copied.
Student copyright responsibilities
Refer to the Whitireia and WelTec policy:
A5-R1 Student Rights and Responsibilities
4. Students:
4.19 Use their network accounts or permitted institution systems or hardware exclusively for their own use; they must not:
a) Copy, modify or install software without authority
b) Infringe copyright regulations or any intellectual property
For the purposes of research or private study, Whitireia/WelTec students or researchers may do the following:
Copy from books
Up to 10% or one chapter of a book, or whichever is greater (even if the majority of it is pictures). You CANNOT copy the whole book.
Copy from short stories or poetry
15 pages of a book.
Copy from journals/magazines
One article per issue, or more if on the same topic.
Copy from overseas and local newspapers
One article per issue, from online or hard copy.
Copy from theses
Copyright is owned by the Thesis author. You need to obtain permission before copying.
Audiovisual and music
Section 43 of the Copyright Act permits "Fair Dealing" for research or private study.
For study purposes you may use 30 seconds of a commercial video, as long as you don't alter it.
Note: You can't share electronically with another person or make multiple copies.
Copyright for Tertiary Students (Copyright Licensing New Zealand)
Understanding Copyright (Copyright Licensing New Zealand)
Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand Legislation)
Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Act 2011 (New Zealand Legislation)
Copyright protection in New Zealand (MBIE)
Crown Copyright (NZ Intellectual Property Office)
Māori and Intellectual Property (NZ Intellectual Property Office)