The Foundation of CC Licenses is Attribution

Attribution versus Citation

Attribution is a similar process to citing academic works in a paper, but there are some key differences. The following table outlines some of the ways in which citations and attribution are similar and different:

Citation	Attribution
Purpose is academic (e.g. avoiding plagiarism)	Purpose is legal (e.g. following licensing regulations)
Does NOT typically include licensing information for the work	Typically includes licensing information for the work
Used to quote or paraphrase a limited portion of a work	Used to quote or paraphrase all or a portion of a work
Can paraphrase, but cannot typically change the work’s meaning	Can change the work under most Creative Commons licenses
Many citation styles are available (e.g., APA, Chicago, and MLA)	Attribution statement styles are still emerging, but there are some defined best practices
Cited resources are typically placed in a reference list	Attribution statements are typically found near the work used (e.g., below an image)

Attribution: This table was adapted by Abbey Elder from “Citation vs. Attribution Links to an external site.” by Lauri Aesoph, licensed CC BY 4.0. Links to an external site.