Australian copyright law permits users to make a ‘fair dealing’ with copyright material for certain specified purposes. If your use of copyright material is covered by a fair dealing provision, your use does not require the permission of the copyright owner.
Under the 'fair dealing' provisions within the Copyright Act, individual students and staff can reproduce limited portions of copyright materials for the purpose of criticism, review, study, research, parody or satire. The provisions apply to literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, sound recordings, films, TV and radio broadcasts. The provisions of most value to you in your own study or research are the ones in sections 40 and 103C that permit a fair dealing with works and audiovisual items for the purpose of research or study.