Source: creativecommons.org
Whether it’s a scientific publication, presentation, graphic, or teaching material: Anyone who publishes research findings should specify how others are permitted to use them. This is exactly where licenses come into play.
They clarify whether content may be shared, modified, or even used commercially. In this way, they promote the reuse of scientific findings and support the goals of Open Science.
Creative Commons licenses (CC licenses) are an internationally established licensing system. But what do the various abbreviations actually mean, and which license is suitable for which purpose?
What Are Creative Commons Licenses?
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that has developed standardized licenses for copyrighted works. With these licenses, creators can specify, at the time of publication, the conditions under which their works may be used.
Creative Commons licenses are used worldwide and are particularly widespread in the academic field. They are used, for example, in open-access publications, teaching materials, presentations, and illustrations.
The Four License Modules
| Module | Meaning |
| BY (Attribution) | The author’s name must be credited. |
| SA (ShareAlike) | Adaptations must be distributed under an equivalent license. |
| NC (NonCommercial) | The work may be used only for noncommercial purposes. |
| ND (NoDerivates) | The work may not be altered or adapted. |
An Overview of the Six Creative Commons Licenses
The six Creative Commons licenses are composed of the building blocks mentioned above.
| License | Modifications allowed? | Commercial use allowed? | Conditions |
| CC BY | Yes | Yes | Attribution |
| CC BY-SA | Yes | Yes | Attribution, ShareAlike |
| CC BY-ND | No | Yes | Attribution, No Derivatives |
| CC BY-NC | Yes | No | Attribution, Non-Commercial |
| CC BY-NC-SA | Yes | No | Attribution, Non-Commercial, ShareAlike |
| CC BY-NC-ND | No | No | Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives |
As a general rule: The more restrictions there are, the less flexible the work is for reuse.
Which License Is Right for What?
The right license depends on what you want to achieve with your work.
If you want to allow for the freest possible reuse, CC BY is often a good choice. It permits the use, adaptation, and distribution of the work, as long as the authors are credited. That is why it is also the standard license for many open-access publications.
If you want to ensure that adaptations also remain freely available, CC BY-SA may be a good option.
The license components NC (NonCommercial) and ND (NoDerivatives), on the other hand, significantly restrict reuse. While this may be desirable in certain cases, it often makes it more difficult to reuse scholarly materials.
Which License Is Suitable for Which Research Result?
The following overview provides an initial guide.
| Research result | Commonly used license or release |
| Scientific publications | CC BY |
| Graphics and illustrations | CC BY |
| Presentations | CC BY |
| Teaching materials | CC BY or CC BY-SA |
| Software | Specific open-source licenses |
This overview is intended as a guide. Which license is appropriate always depends on the specific use case. It is important to note that the license for a complete work may differ from the licenses of its individual components. For example, a presentation can be published under CC BY even though individual figures or graphics it contains are licensed under a different Creative Commons license. The prerequisite is that these components are clearly identified and the respective license terms are adhered to.
If you are unsure which CC license is the best choice for your situation, the CC License Chooser offers further guidance.
What Applies to Research Data?
Special legal frameworks apply to research data. Unlike with scientific publications or images, it is not always clear whether research data is even protected by copyright and whether Creative Commons licenses are applicable.
For this reason, the general recommendations regarding Creative Commons licenses cannot be readily applied to research data.
In a separate article, we explain the specific considerations when releasing research data and the role that CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) plays in this context.
Conclusion
Creative Commons licenses provide clarity on how scientific works may be used. They facilitate reuse, promote open science, and support the open exchange of scientific knowledge.
Which license is the right one always depends on the specific work and the desired level of openness. Understanding the significance of the individual license components allows you to make an informed decision.
However, special considerations apply to research data. We’ll cover these in a separate blog post.
Are you unsure which license is appropriate for your research data, your publication, or other scholarly materials? The RDM team is happy to assist you with any questions regarding research data management and the publication of scholarly results.
Responsible for the content of this article is Arlinda Ujkani.
The following sources served as the basis for this article:
- Creative Commons. Was ist CC?
- Creative Commons. About CC licenses.
- Creative Commons. Frequently Asked Questions.
- Creative Commons Wiki. Data.
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