MurdochNet Policy

Section 3.2.1 Appropriate Content

For the purposes of this Policy, Appropriate Content means:

Content that supports the teaching, learning, research, administration, public relations, community outreach, and student support objectives of the University.

All Content inconsistent with these objectives shall be considered Inappropriate Content.

Appropriate Content shall be hosted on:

computers used to run MurdochNet Servers or Affiliated Web Servers, or
other computers where MurdochNet Servers or Affiliated Web Servers are used to access the Content.

Examples of hosting on other computers are:

(i) Content hosted on a Murdoch FTP Server that is accessed via links within Content hosted on a Web Server

(ii) Records held in a database and used to generate dynamic Content via a Web-based application, or a Web interface to an application system.

There are situations where it may be appropriate for MurdochNet Content to be hosted on or accessed via a Server run on a computer that is not on the Murdoch University Network. Where a Server run by an external Internet Content Hosting Service is registered as a MurdochNet Server or an Affiliated Web Server, the MurdochNet Content it hosts or provides access to is subject to this Policy.

There are a number of recognised Content management practices for the preparation and maintenance of Content. In addition to Content being Appropriate Content, the use of recognised Content management practices is intended to safeguard the good name and image of the University as well as minimise risks to the University in areas of legal liability.

Content prepared or produced without regard to recognised Content management practices shall be referred to as Non-Compliant Content.

Content Management practices listed in Section 5.2 of this Policy include:

(i) Management of the environment within which Content is prepared and maintained

(ii) Tools and utilities used to validate and verify tagging used in the preparation of Content

(iii) Standards to apply and guidelines to follow

(iv) Legislation and policies to comply with

(v) Conventions to practice when preparing Content

(vi) The provision of relevant, accurate, up-to-date information within Content

(vii) The timeliness of information and the retrieval of information within Content

(viii) The application of appropriate access restrictions including restriction of Content to authorised end-users

(ix) Allowance for network constraints on the delivery of Content

(x) Provision of alternative methods of information delivery and submission.

International and Australian standards and guidelines, Australian and Western Australian legislation, and University legislation and policies are listed in Section 5.3 of this Policy, whilst Section 5.4 details the Murdoch Conventions for Content Preparation. The conventions include the:

(i) Assignment of a Content Category

(ii) Preparation of Content to meet Priority 1 Checklist of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

(iii) Hosting on, or access by a Secure Server where Content includes information of a personal, confidential, or sensitive nature, or where financial transactions are involved

(iv) Assignment of an access level and use of appropriate access restriction as necessary

(v) Display of responsibility statements for aspects of Content preparation, including the modification and authorisation of Content

(vi) Display of acknowledgement and authorisation statements for Content that is sponsorship or advertising material (eg. logos)

(vii) Display of dates related to the creation of Content, the modification of Content and the expiry of information within Content

(viii) Display of copyright statements, compliance with copyright requirements for copied material where the University does not own the copyright

(ix) Display of disclaimer statements regarding liability for Content, including information within Content

(x) Display of a privacy statement to inform end-users about information gathered

(xi) Display of the University’s CRICOS Provider Code and the University’s name

(xii) Use of metadata to facilitate the identification, location and retrieval of information resources and the management of Content.

MurdochNet Content is categorised as either University Content, Associated Content, or recognised Foreign Content (as defined in Section 2.2.2). Each category is further classified by means of a set of subcategories (as defined in Section 2.2.2). These subcategories shall be used to determine the degree to which the standards, guidelines, legislative requirements and the Murdoch Conventions for Content Preparation should be applied in the preparation or production of Content.

For example, two areas where providing Content shall comply with legislative requirements are Foreign Content copied to computers on the Murdoch University Network and material prepared or produced by students in relation to teaching, learning, or research activities for a unit in which they are enrolled at Murdoch University.

Copyright Requirements For Foreign Content

For Foreign Content Category R to be considered appropriate Content, specific Content management practices shall be used to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Copyright Act 1968.

These Content management practices shall include:

1	Warning Notice	Display of the official Copyright warning notice before, or at the same time as the material being displayed appears on the screen.
2	Access Level	Assignment of an appropriate access level.
3	Access Restriction	Implementation of approved access restriction methods.
4	Record Keeping	Maintenance of the required records of the copying of, and as required, for the use of such material.
5	Hosting	Deletion of material when it is no longer required.

The University’s Copyright Coordinator shall be responsible for coordinating the required record keeping for copied material.

For further detail of Content management practices for Foreign Content, including the use of nominated central repository or ‘centre’, refer to Section 5.4.8.5 Foreign Content & Copyright.

Appropriate Content Listed by Content Subcategories

Types of material considered to be Appropriate Content are listed here and are assigned to the Content subcategories as defined in Section 2.2.2 Content. This list highlights the requirement for Content to be prepared or produced using the conventions detailed in Section 5.4 Murdoch Conventions for Content Preparation, in particular, the requirement to include (ie. display) metadata such as ‘responsibility statements’, ‘date statements’, ‘copyright statements’, ‘disclaimer statements’ and the University’s ‘CRICOS Provider Code’.

Any material published without displaying the appropriate metadata shall be considered to be Non-Compliant Content.

Section 3.2.1.1: MurdochNet Administration (University Content, Category A)

Section 3.2.1.2: MurdochNet Navigation (University Content, Category B)

Section 3.2.1.3: Official University Publications (University Content, Category C)

Section 3.2.1.4: University Management (University Content, Category D)

Section 3.2.1.5: Public Relations Material (University Content, Category E)

Section 3.2.1.6: Research Material (University Content, Category F)

Section 3.2.1.7: Teaching and Learning Materials (University Content, Category G)

Section 3.2.1.8: Teaching, Learning & Research Support (University Content, Category H)

Section 3.2.1.9: University Services and Facilities (University Content, Category I)