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Open Educational Resources (OERs)

Introduction to Open Educational Resources (OERs): what they are, why they matter, and how you can find, adapt, or create your own, including licensing guidance and publishing options.

Open licensing

Copyright grants exclusive rights to the creator of original works, while open licensing is a way for creators to grant others permission to use, adapt, and share their work, often under specific conditions. Open licensing allows for greater accessibility and reuse, offering an alternative to the full exclusivity of copyright.

Creative Commons

These licences help you retain copyright while giving others permission to use your work. The most common CC licences include:

  • CC BY: Reuse with attribution
  • CC BY-SA: Share-alike with attribution
  • CC BY-NC: Non-commercial use with attribution

Use the Creative Commons Licence Chooser to decide which licence suits your needs.

Using third-party content

Adapting existing content can introduce copyright complexities, especially when mixing materials with different licences or embedded third-party media. In some cases, it may be simpler to start from scratch and ensure that all elements (text, images, figures) are openly licensed from the outset. 

When creating an OER, make sure any third-party images, figures, tables, videos, or datasets are:

  • Also openly licensed
  • Or used under educational exceptions
  • Or replaced with original or openly licensed alternatives
  • Or have copyright clearance from the owner