Open Licences

Open Access does not only mean that a work is accessible free of charge, but also that it may be reused extensively. In order to clearly indicate which rights apply to the use of the work, open content licenses, such as Creative Commons licenses (CC licenses), can be assigned.

In our video "Open licenses for open research" we'll explain how Creative Common licensing is used in research.

Licence agreements are standardised contracts that allow for the free use of works protected by copyright. However, this is only feasible if the authors have not granted exclusive usage rights to anyone else, such as a publisher.

Our video "How exactly do Creative Commons licenses work?" we will explain the different components of the licence, highlight the variations between the different versions, and outline the rights you possess.

Overview Creative Commons Licences:

When selecting the right licence for your own Open Access publication, it's important to ensure that free access and various forms of reuse are permitted. The most effective way to achieve this is by using a CC BY licence. The video "Creative-Commons licenses for Open Access" explains the reasons behind this choice.

If you include a corresponding reference to the selected licence and a link to the licence text when publishing, your work can be reused without needing to seek individual permission from you, as the copyright holder. When reusing works licensed in this manner, the author's right to be acknowledged remains intact. If the licence permits adaptation of the work, it must be stated that the new work is an adaptation, and a reference to the original must be made.

How to correctly indicate your chosen licence is explained in further detail in this video: "The correct indication of a license".

Open Licenses for Your Dissertation - What's Important 

Articles published in an Open Access journal under an open licence (e.g. CC BY) can be included in your compilation thesis without any issues.

For other articles, you will need to review the licence terms and seek permission from the publisher with whom you published the article to republish it. Publishers often agree to allow publication as part of a dissertation. You can find out what conditions you need to meet in your contract with the publisher or on their website. If you are uncertain, you can contact the publisher directly.

It is also important to note that you must exclude materials from others from the licence. This applies to both monographic and compilation theses.