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Creative Commons

Information about finding, using, and building with Creative Commons licensing.

Open Access and Open Eduational Resources

In traditional scholarly publishing, authors are often required to relinquish their copyright when publishing in academic journals.  The journal publisher then sets the cost, access limits, or prices for library subscriptions.

 

Open publication provides a more efficient model for scholars to share and engage with academic work, creating more equitable access to scholarly conversations and reducing financial burdens for readers. 

Publishers may charge publication fees or limit access to current research, but by allowing authors to retain their copyright and permit open licensing after the embargo period, everyone benefits.

research article publication cycle image"Research Article Cycles,” by Billymeinke. CC BY 4.0.

 open publication cycle image

 

Sources:

“Unit 6: CC for Academic Librarians” by Creative Commons. CC BY 4.0.

In Open Access scholarship and publishing, authors keep the copyright to their own work, rather than transferring it entirely to another publisher.  In a fully Open Access publishing model, authors can choose to Creative Commons licensing to permit others to reuse, remix, and redistribute content. 
CC open access image lock

Open Access at CC designed by Amy Collier, copyright owned by Creative Commons. CC BY

Open Access, as defined by UNESCO:

"Open access (OA) means free access to information and unrestricted use of electronic resources for everyone. Any kind of digital content can be OA, from texts and data to software, audio, video, and multi-media. While most of these are related to text only, a growing number are integrating text with images, data, and executable code. OA can also apply to non-scholarly content, like music, movies, and novels."

Research shows that Open Access papers have a higher research impact factor than more restrictive subscription-based publications.

Percentage and impact of different access types of a random sample of WoS articles and reviews with a DOI, by year of publication.

Open Access options:

When work is added to our HU Digital Commons institutional repository, it ensures ongoing access for readers - and readership information for authors.  Take a look at our readership map, and browse the work  HU scholars have been doing!

 

  • When authors publish in scholarly journals, the most common options are:

Green OA, where ​authors are allowed to publish their manuscript in a repository, such as the HU Digital Commons, where it is accessible to all readers.  The repository is published in a separate location, and sometimes a different format, from the final version from the publisher.

Gold OA,  where the final version of the manuscript is published and made freely available on the publisher's or journal's site.  Usually the entire publication is Open Access.) (Frequently in this scenario, authors must pay Article Processing Charges (APC) to publish Open Access.)

Hybrid OA, includes journals that blend traditional and Open Access publications, allowing authors to elect whether their manuscript will be Open Access or not.  (This scenario also includes Article Processing Charges for Open Access.)

 

Interested in knowing more?

Browse the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) to find publications that support Open Access publishing.

PLOS provides an extensive guide to the benefits of open access on their website.

 

Open Educational Resources are Open Access publications specifically designed for teaching and learning. 

OERs allow faculty and students an infinitely flexible, customizable, and accessible model for textbooks and other learning tools.

"Open educational resources (OER) are any resources available at little or no cost that can be used for teaching, learning, or research. The term can include textbooks, course readings, and other learning content; simulations, games, and other learning applications; syllabi, quizzes, and assessment tools; and virtually any other material that can be used for educational purposes. OER typically refers to electronic resources, including those in multimedia formats, and such materials are generally released under a Creative Commons or similar license that supports open or nearly open use of the content. OER can originate from colleges and universities, libraries, archival organizations, government agencies, commercial organizations such as publishers, or faculty or other individuals who develop educational resources they are willing to share." -- 7 Things You Should Know About Open Educational Resources

David Wiley explains that, to qualify as an OER, the "5R's" must be allowed:

  • Retain – permission to make, own, and control copies of the content (e.g., download, duplicate, store, and manage)
  • Reuse – permission to use the content in a wide range of ways (e.g., in a class, in a study group, on a website, in a video)
  • Revise – permission to adapt, adjust, modify, or alter the content itself (e.g., translate the content into another language)
  • Remix – permission to combine the original or revised content with other material to create something new (e.g., incorporate the content into a mashup)
  • Redistribute – permission to share copies of the original content, your revisions, or your remixes with others (e.g., give a copy of to a friend)

The most "open" of the Creative Commons licenses allow remixing and redistribution:  CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC BY-NC, or CC BY-NC-SA.

Resources for finding OERs:

Information for authors:

  • If you are submitting your work to a journal for publication, consider journals that support open access publishing. 
  • If you are submitting to journals with a traditional publication process, you may be able to amend your agreement with the publisher, to request permission to add your work to our Digital Commons institutional repository, or to post it on your own website. The Scholars Copyright Addendum Engine includes fillable form that creates a customized agreement that can be submitted to a journal to retain author's rights.
  • Add your work to the HU Digital Commons - either full-text, or as a citation with a link to the final publication site.
  • If you've already transferred your author rights to a publisher, you may be able to ask for them back!

CC Licensing

Open Access and OERs by L. Wukovitz is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0