How to license your work

Start thinking about the license you want to apply before you start your work. This way, you can start looking for existing material that you may wish to use and include into your work, which supports the license you have chosen.

Follow these three steps, defined by Laura Czerniewicz and Michelle Willmers:

STEP 1 - Identify your intentions

• Do you want people to be able to adapt your content?
• Do you want people to use the same license as you have?

STEP 2 - Assess your policy framework

• Get to know your institutional policy
• Examine the intellectual property (IP) stipulations in your grant agreements and contracts
• Review co-authorship arrangements

STEP 3 - Select and apply your license

• Familiarise yourself with Creative Commons licensing
• Practice applying the license to various content types
• Consider license compatibility
• Choose a license using the Creative Commons web site: