About
Richardson Studies is a non-profit research database promoting faith-based research & philosophy operated by R. Nathan Richardson, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Copyright & Related Information
My writing operation, Richardson Studies, is an educational non-profit operation, and all materials thereof are free to the public. I place all my writings under a Creative Commons license, allowing electronic files to be shared by others for educational purposes with attribution (CCBY-SA). My writings are provided free through the website RichardsonStudies.com as blog posts and eBooks. For convenience, much of my work is available in print via Amazon.com, sold at minimal printing cost.
Fair Use law allows for some sharing of portions of others’ work for educational and analytical purposes with attribution. I have made every effort to ensure my writing is properly done in keeping with various components of Fair Use law as follows:
Educational Non-profit: I do not financially benefit from the writings I publish. My objective in sharing my writing is to educate. My writings are unique and do not detract from the efforts of other authors whom I highlight and analyze.
Factual Non-Fictional Nature: My writings deal with facts of history and other subjects. Basic facts do not belong to anyone and can and should be shared. It is in the public interest for facts of history, science and other academic fields to be presented. Much of the work I highlight is to share the facts and principles presented in those works rather than their specific artistic qualities. My interest in the works of others involves trimming out the fat and focusing on fundamental ideas. It is a fun experience to read books with extra stories and other artistic elements, but there is a place for drilling down to the basic core ideas which are most important, which is where I come in.
Selection & Abbreviation: I select certain parts of books which are particularly meaningful to me and which I believe others would particularly benefit from. This said, my highlights of other books should not be considered a summary as they do not offer a balanced presentation of the whole picture of the book in treatment – I merely bring out a few fascinating points of interest to myself. My works are much smaller than the books I treat, like turning books into essays. My publications make clear where I get various ideas. I do not claim the work of others as my own. As I take notes on works of other authors for my work, I typically paraphrase those writings rather than directly quote them, unless indicated by quotation marks.
Creative New Product & Unique Brand: I make a new product by how I make certain information available, what I add to it, what I leave out of it, what I compare it to, which parts I emphasize, and so forth. My work does not take away from the revenues of other authors even when ideas from other authors are treated. My audience takes interest in my writing because of my worldviews which I demonstrate in the writings. Those interested in the work of other authors will do better to read those authors directly rather than my highlights and analysis. My audience has familiarity with my writing style and focus, and looks to my writings for a specific experience, not available in merely reading works of others which I sometimes highlight. My writings do not diminish the value or sales of the authors I treat.
Comparison & Analysis: I compare aspects of authors’ writings with what others have written and with my experiences and perspectives. I comment on the ideas presented and provide additional meaning and context to expand upon various ideas. I identify things the author claims which I specifically disagree with and why. I contribute perspectives from my experiences and my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though my work does not represent any group.
Attribution & Representation: When referring to teachings of others, I make it clear which ideas are mine and which were inspired by other authors. When doing book highlights, I typically separate my commentary in new paragraphs indicated by “Note:…End note.” I do not claim to represent other authors or their work. I do not claim to be an official representative of the church I belong to or any other organization. All my writings express my personal views. When I paraphrase writings of others, those writings do not represent the authors I paraphrase.
