LibGuides v.2: Faculty Support LibGuide: Open Access Resources

Open Access - What Is It?

Open access (OA) "is a central feature of the remaking of scholarly communications in the digital age"(1), which aims to provide free access to information and unrestricted use of electronic resources for everyone. (2)

Resources licensed in OA, which could be text, audio, visual, or multimedia, permit any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of those resources.

Not everything that is freely available, is in OA! There are several types of copyright licenses. If you cannot find the license, unless the material resides in the public domain, consider it copyrighted material.

Below are the types and meanings of the Creative Commons (CC) attributions, from the least to the most restricted usage.

	CCO - CC Zero	Allows creators to give up their copyright and put their works into the worldwide public domain; allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, with no conditions.
	CC BY – Credit must be given to the creator	Allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.
	CC BY-SA – Adaptations must be shared under the same terms	This license allows for commercial use. If you remix, adapt or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.
	CC BY-ND – No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted	This license allows for commercial use, but no derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted.
	CC BY-NC - non-commercial purposes only	For noncommercial purposes only, and as long as attribution is given to the creator.
	CC BY-NC-SA – Adaptations must be shared under the same terms	For noncommercial purposes only, credit must be given to the author. If you remix, adapt or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.
	CC BY-NC-ND	Credit must be given to the creator; only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted; no derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted.

Table adapted from: https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/

1) Weiland, S. (2020). Open Access. In M. E. David, & M. J. Amey (Eds.), The SAGE encyclopedia of higher education. Sage UK. Credo Reference: http://ezproxy.library.berkeley.org:80/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sageukhe/open_access/0?institutionId=4154

2) What is Open Access? (n.d.). UNESCO Open Access publications. https://en.unesco.org/open-access/what-open-access

Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research materials that are either (a) in the public domain or (b) licensed. OER resources are available in various formats, from comprehensive materials such as textbooks to smaller learning objects, such as PowerPoint presentations, that can be adapted into course materials. The quality, scope, and expanse of OER vary by discipline. It is important to remember that there are many resources that, though freely available, are not part of OER, but rather copyrighted material (i.e. YouTube videos, images) that have restrictions on how they can be used.

Find out more about Open Access Journals.

OER Repositories & Metafinders

Listed below are selected repositories that allow for exploring the availability and extensivity of OER course materials.

LibreText
Initiated at the University of California, Davis, these discipline-focused textbooks, either created directly or harvested into the LibreTexts platform, can be incorporated into LSM (Canvas).
OASIS
Openly Available Sources Integrated Search (OASIS) currently searches open content from 113 different sources. It has been OASIS developed at SUNY Geneseo's Milne Library.
more...less...
https://oasis.geneseo.edu/subject.php
OER Commons
A public digital library of open educational resources offers a comprehensive infrastructure for curriculum experts and instructors at all levels.
more...less...
https://www.oercommons.org/curated-collections
Open Stax
OpenStax is an initiative of Rice University, in collaboration with philanthropic foundations and other educational resource companies, that allows reviewing and requesting free access to available textbooks.
more...less...
https://openstax.org/faq
Open Textbook Library
From the University of Minnesota, this comprehensive referatory offers access to open textbooks, available in various formats and "licensed to be freely adapted or changed with proper attribution."
more...less...
https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/faq

Please explore these additional OER directories and metafinders.

Merlot
"The MERLOT system provides access to curated online learning and support materials and content creation tools, led by an international community of educators, learners and researchers."
more...less...
https://info.merlot.org/merlothelp/topic.htm#t=MERLOT_Collection.htm
Mason OER Meta Finder
From Goerge Mason University, this Metafinder launches a real-time, simultaneous search across 22 well-known OER repositories.
more...less...
https://publishing.gmu.edu/whos-using-the-mason-oer-metafinder/
Digital Public Library of America
DPLA collaborates with partners to make millions of materials (text, videos, images) from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions across the country available to all in a one-stop discovery experience.
more...less...
https://dp.la/guides
Directory Of Open Access Books
Directory of Open Access Books is a joint service of OAPEN, OpenEdition, CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université, provided by DOAB Foundation.

OpenNJ

Open NJ is a statewide repository collection developed for New Jersey higher education institutions.

The Open NJ repository allows faculty and students to find Open Educational Resources (OER) created and adopted at participating New Jersey institutions, and materials created through the Open Textbook Collaborative grant.

Click on the image below to browse the available collections.

OA & OER LibGuides

Many institutions of higher education around the world created library research guides dedicated to Open Access and Open Educational Resources. Please check the selected few below.

Open Access - USC
This guide compiles lists of resources and repositories for OA and OER.
OPEN ACCESS - Misconceptions
From Drexel University Libraries this guide explains why OA is important and what are the misconceptions about OA.
Open Access Publishing : What is Open Access?
This Cornell University Library guide provides guidance in Open Access scholarly publishing for researchers in all disciplines.
Open Educational Resources
From James Cook University in Australia, this comprehensive guide about OER links to many OER in various formats.

Selected eBooks in Open Access

1. Handbook of Open, Distance, and Digital Education. (2022). Eds. Olaf Zawacki-Richter, Insung Jung. SpringerLink.

Note from the editor: This book: provides a unique and comprehensive overview of ODDE in the age of digital transformation in education; offers an in-depth discussion on various issues related to ODDE from historical and cross-cultural perspectives; allows researchers, scholars, and students to conduct their own research and learning agendas; provides free and unlimited access to all chapters as an open access publication.