Introduction

Electronic resources (referred to here as e-journals, e-books, and databases; the same below) are jointly used by the whole university, and we have made an agreement with the provider (publisher etc.) regarding usage, including prevention of unauthorized use. Also, as with the booklets, acts that infringe copyrights are also considered unauthorized use. 
In order to maintain access to the whole university, please check the following “Precautions for use of electronic resources” and use them appropriately.

Contents

1. What is unauthorized use?
2. Cases of unauthorized use
3. In order not to be considered unauthorized use
   3-1.Avoid mass downloading and excessive access
   3-2.Turn off the prefetch function of browser
   3-3.Review the reference management software settings
4. Compliance with the University of Tokyo Information Ethics Guidelines
5. Other notes

1. What is unauthorized use?

Unauthorized use in this context refers to the following actions:

• Using electronic resources by any person who is not approved to enter the facility by members of the University of Tokyo (faculty, staff, students, etc.) and the library.
• Downloading, copying, saving to hard disk, etc., or printing articles, etc. for purposes other than personal academic research or educational purposes and distributing it.
• Distributing materials obtained from electronic resources to third parties.
  *Use in class should be based on the latest version of the “Article 35 Operation Guidelines of the Revised Copyright Act.”
• Mass downloading and excessive access.
  Regardless of the full text file, it is prohibited to perform mass downloading and excessive access regarding all information on contracted databases, whether it is done manually or automatically. The operation can be done manually or mechanically.

2. Cases of unauthorized use

In the event of unauthorized use, the provider (publisher, etc.) will issue a warning, and the whole University of Tokyo may suspend use of the electronic resource without prior warning.
Take extra care, as it will interfere with research being done on campus.

In general, providers (publishers, etc.) can use access logs to monitor mass use and unauthorized use. Systematic downloads using download support software and tools can also be detected mechanically. 
If there are traces of unauthorized use, the provider (publisher, etc.) issue a warning to the university and notifies the university of the date and time of the occurrence and the IP address of the user.

Each provider (publisher etc.) takes a certain measure. For example, if there is mass downloading or excessive access, the following measures are generally taken.

• Warning is issued and investigation starts.
• Warning is issued and the investigation starts. Access from IP address concerned is suspended.
• Warning is issued and the investigation starts. Access from certain IP addresses including IP address concerned is suspended.
• Warning is issued and the investigation starts. All access from the university is suspended.

Libraries are required to investigate and respond to the circumstances under which the alleged unauthorized use occurred (accidental, intentional, use of download assistance software, manual, etc.) and to present measures to prevent it in the future. In response, the library will conduct a field survey on the use of electronic resources based on the information provided. 

If the results of the investigation indicate that it was not unauthorized use, the library informs the provider (publisher, etc.) of the information. If access has been suspended, the library requests recovery of the access.
Try to avoid obvious unauthorized use as well as use that could be mistaken for unauthorized use. (Refer to 3. In order not to be considered unauthorized use) 

3. In order not to be considered unauthorized use

(This will explain in detail “mass downloading” and “excessive access,” which are especially pointed out.)

3-1. Avoid mass downloading and excessive access

• As a general rule, you should use only the papers you need each time you need them for your research.

• As for the terms “mass” or “excessive,” there is no uniform rule on what constitutes a “mass” downloading or “excessive” access. If there is a provision by the provider, the amount of downloading/access must be within the scope.

• Systematic and exhaustive downloading, such as obtaining an entire issue of a journal, is often prohibited by the publisher's regulations, regardless of the number of downloads.

• Never try a systematic download using download support software and tool. Electronic resources contracted by the University of Tokyo are basically not allowed to systematically acquire data even for text mining or data mining purposes. If it is necessary for education and research, you may be able to obtain permission under certain conditions if you consult with the provider in advance. If you need the data, please contact ASK.

• Frequent access in a short period of time may be considered excessive access. Even if you are not using tools, avoid opening pages one after another or downloading files at a speed beyond what is necessary to read the text.
  You are also likely to have an operation in a short period of time when reviewing abstracts in order on an electronic journal site. Please use it consciously, for example, using the function to display the abstract on the table of contents page and using the literature search database for keyword search.

• You may unintentionally perform mass downloading or excessive access. The following are case examples:
  • Multiple people from the same laboratory accessed the site at the same time. As the IP address was the same, it was considered excessive access.
  • As you reloaded many times in a short period of time, it was considered excessive access.
  • An object fell on the keyboard and the keys were held down, which was considered excessive access.
  • Your browser settings and/or the application you are using perform prefetching for journal sites.

• If a message such as “Caution against mass downloading” appears during use, stop use immediately.

3-2. Turn off the look-ahead function of browser

In some cases, the prefetch function of web browsers may cause users to unintentionally mass downloading / excessive access.
The prefetch function repeatedly accesses links in a page in the background while you are viewing the page. Accordingly, people may think they are using electronic resources normally, but they may be unaware that the operation is considered mass downloading or excessive access. Follow the instructions below to change the browser settings. Please disable the prefetch function and use the electronic resources.

How to disable the link look-ahead function by browser (checked on October 11, 2024)

• Microsoft Edge
  At the top right of the screen, click the Settings icon → [Settings] -- [Cookies and site permissions] and click [Manage and delete cookies and site data]. Uncheck [Pre-load pages for faster browsing and searching].
• Google Chrome
  In the upper-right corner of the screen, click the Settings icon → [Settings]. Open [Performance] and uncheck [Preload Pages].
• Mozilla Firefox
  Enter [about: config] in the address bar and press Enter.
  If you see the message “Proceed with Caution!,” click “Accept the risk and continue.” Search “network.prefetch-next” and set it to false.
• Safari (Mac)
  From Safari in the menu bar, click [Preferences]. Click the [Search] tab and uncheck [Preload Top Hits in Background].

3-3. Review the reference management software settings

Some reference management software can automatically download multiple PDF files at once. It is considered mass downloading by the publisher, so please cancel those functions and use it. Below is a description of the reference management software that is often used at the University of Tokyo. Other reference management software, including Zotero, may have similar functions, so please check the settings before using it.

EndNote (check on October 11, 2024)

• If you are using the purchased version, please disable the Find Full Text function.
  • Open Edit → Preferences from the top menu of EndNote. In the left menu, select Find Full Text and uncheck [Automatically invoke Find Full Text on newly imported references] at the bottom.
  • For an overview of the Find Full Text function, please refer to the quick reference guide from our distributor, USACO. https://rs.usaco.co.jp/product/endnote/quick-reference/21/021.html

• EndNote online contracted by the University of Tokyo does not have Find Full Text function.
• The browser extension EndNote Click is similar to the browser’s look-ahead function. If you use it, do not register your organization and set it to “Use only free available PDF references.”

Mendeley(check on October 11, 2024)

• Change the Mendeley Web Importer settings.
  • The Mendeley Web Importer is a browser extension that reads bibliographic information about the page you're viewing. At that time, if there is an available PDF, change the setting in order not to download the PDF text together with the bibliographic information.
  • Click the Web Importer icon to display a screen to select which bibliographic information to import → Click “・・・” at the bottom right of the displayed screen to open the setting screen → Uncheck “Add PDF if possible” in the setting. After unchecking, click the Web Importer icon again to display a screen to select which bibliographic information to import. You can avoid the bulk download by selecting and using the documents you need.

4. Compliance with the University of Tokyo Information Ethics Guidelines

Please refer to the University of Tokyo Information Ethics Guidelines and keep in mind appropriate use.
（Please see the "Guidelines for Information Ethics and Computer Use" on the above page.）

5. Other notes

• Account, ID, and password management
  • Please keep your account and password strictly confidential so that they will not be leaked to a third party.
    If you use the service from a PC that you don’t manage, the entered account and password may remain on the PC and be misused by others. Be sure to log out and delete your records.
    *Please do not ever enter your password, even when making inquiries.
  • You may be required to use a unique ID and password to access specific databases. It is prohibited to share such ID and password with anyone other than members of the University of Tokyo. Also, when you discard a memo, be careful not to leak the ID and password.
     
• Electronic resources may not be available due to database maintenance, problems, or user connection status.
  • Check the failure information page or the individual database details on the database list to confirm the latest information.
  • When you use electronic resources from an off-campus network, you must use a dedicated service. See the “How to use e-resources from off-campus” page.
  • Some electronic resources may not be available depending on your browser. If you cannot use it, try the following.
    • Check the database listing or the help page of the appropriate electronic resource for recommended browsers and versions and use a match.
    • Clear the browser cache.
    • Use another browser.