Dear list,

The subject of publishing postgrad / PhD these under open licenses came up via the W.UK twitter account a few days ago:

Wouldn't it be amazing if all postgrad/PhD students were given the option to publish dissertations/theses on Open Licenses? #OpenKnowledge
https://twitter.com/wikimediauk/status/857618743924592640

I think there's two issues here: first, if, how and when postgrad theses are published, then second, under what license.

For the first, there's been debates recently about embargoing publication etc. Eg:
http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/publishing-dissertation-online/51361
But that's another subject really.

For the second, I think there's no reason that prevents any thesis being published under a free open license, save where there is use of copyrighted materials. But I haven't found many unis stating this clearly.
Leeds is the only UK university I've found that overtly advocates CC licenses:
https://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/371/copyright_for/294/copyright_for_phds/4
But this is on the sole basis of a few hours googling.

I'm a PhD at Sussex ATM, so will be looking more closely into their arrangements next year.

John

--
John Levin
http://www.anterotesis.com
http://twitter.com/anterotesis

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