National Resource Hub

Open Access Policy

National Resource Hub Open Access Policy

The National Resource Hub is committed to the principles of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practices (OEP). This Open Access Policy outlines how all content on the Hub is managed to ensure it remains freely available, reusable, and accessible to educators, researchers, and the wider community. It covers the scope of content, licensing requirements, access and usability standards, metadata and interoperability, accessibility guidelines, attribution practices, quality control, and long-term preservation. The goal is to foster an open sharing culture where resources can be easily found, used, adapted, and sustained over time.

Scope

This policy applies to all content hosted on the National Resource Hub. It encompasses, but is not limited to:

  • Educational Resources: Teaching and learning materials such as lesson plans, curricula, textbooks, presentations, videos, and interactive learning objects.
  • Research Materials: Publications, case studies, reports, and any scholarly or practice-based outputs shared on the Hub.
  • Metadata: Descriptive information about each resource (titles, authors, descriptions, keywords, etc.) that enables searching and discovery.

All materials contributed to the Hub fall under this policy from the moment of submission. By contributing content, authors agree to these open access terms. The entire repository, including resource files and their metadata, is considered open content under this policy.

Licensing

All content on the Hub must be made available under an open license that permits reuse and adaptation. The Hub strongly encourages the use of Creative Commons (CC) licenses, specifically:

  • CC BY (Attribution) – allows others to reuse, remix, and build upon the content for any purpose, even commercially, as long as they credit the original author.
  • CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike) – similar to CC BY, but requires that any derivatives or remixes are shared under the same license, thus perpetuating open use.
  • CC BY-NC (Attribution-NonCommercial) – allows others to reuse and modify the content for non-commercial purposes only, with attribution to the creator.

For more detailed information on Creative Commons licenses, including guidance on selecting the most appropriate license for your work, please visit Creative Commons Licenses.

Contributors retain full copyright ownership of their work. By choosing one of the above licenses, authors simply grant permission for others to use their material under the specified terms. The selected license will be clearly indicated on the resource page. The Hub’s default preference is for the most permissive licensing (such as CC BY) to maximise reuse potential, but authors may choose a more restrictive CC license (like NonCommercial or ShareAlike) if desired. No content requiring all-rights-reserved is permitted on the Hub, as that would conflict with our open access mission.

Metadata Licensing: To promote discovery and interoperability, all metadata (information about the resources) is openly shareable. Metadata may be released under a public domain or CC0 dedication by the Hub, so that other services can harvest and reuse it without restriction. This ensures that basic information about resources can be freely circulated for search and discovery purposes.

Access & Usability

All resources on the Hub are provided with free and immediate access to anyone worldwide. We adhere to Open Access principles to remove barriers for users:

  • No Paywalls or Fees: Content on the Hub can be viewed and downloaded without any payment, subscription, or registration requirement. Users do not need to belong to a particular institution to access materials.
  • No Embargoes: Resources are made available as soon as they are published on the Hub. There are no delayed release periods – the content is accessible to the public immediately upon submission and approval.
  • User-Friendly Formats: Whenever possible, resources are published in widely accessible file formats. For example, documents might be provided in PDF and editable formats (like DOCX or ODT); data in CSV or open spreadsheet formats; images in standard image formats; and videos in common streaming or download formats. Providing materials in open or editable formats helps others easily reuse and adapt them, supporting OEP.
  • Platform Usability: The Hub’s website is designed for easy navigation and use. Users can search, browse, and preview resources with intuitive tools. Each resource page includes clear information (title, author, abstract/description, license, etc.) to help users quickly assess relevance. We implement the FAIR principles – making content Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable: resources have descriptive metadata and keywords (Findable), are freely downloadable (Accessible), use standard data and metadata formats (Interoperable), and carry open licenses (Reusable). For more details on FAIR principles, visit https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/.

Interoperability & Metadata

To maximise the reach and utility of the Hub’s content, we focus on interoperability and robust metadata practices. This ensures our resources can be discovered and integrated by other systems and platforms:

  • Standardised Metadata: Each resource is accompanied by rich metadata following established standards (such as Dublin Core). This standardised metadata includes fields like title, creator, subject, description, date, resource type, and license. Consistent metadata allows search engines, library systems, and other repositories to interpret and display our records accurately.
  • OAI-PMH Support: The Hub implements the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). This means external services (such as library catalogs, OER aggregators, or search portals) can automatically harvest our metadata. By exposing our records through OAI-PMH, the Hub’s content is globally discoverable beyond this website – for example, higher education institutions can include Hub resources in their library search results, or OER search engines can index our materials.
  • Persistent Identifiers: Every resource published on the Hub is assigned a persistent identifier for citation and long-term reference. We use stable, unique URLs for each item, and where appropriate, may assign DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) or other permanent identifiers. This allows users to cite Hub materials confidently, knowing the link will remain valid over time. Citable identifiers also help track usage and impact of the resources.
  • Interoperable Formats: In addition to metadata interoperability, we encourage use of open file formats for the content itself (for example, Open Document formats, plain text, or other non-proprietary formats) to facilitate reuse and editing. This ensures that not only is the metadata harvestable, but the content can also be opened and used in various software environments without compatibility issues.

Through these measures, the National Resource Hub’s content is well-integrated into the global knowledge ecosystem. Educators and learners can find our resources via their preferred platforms, and our resources can be seamlessly aggregated or remixed with content from other open repositories.

Accessibility

Inclusivity is a core value of the Hub. All content and platform features are developed and reviewed to meet accessibility standards so that they can be used by people of all abilities. We are committed to complying with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 (at least Level AA conformance) in both the website design and the resources hosted. Key accessibility practices include:

  • Accessible Web Design: The Hub’s user interface is built for clarity and simplicity. We use high-contrast color schemes, readable fonts, and logical heading structures for easy navigation. All interactive elements (menus, buttons, forms) are operable via keyboard and assistive technologies, ensuring that users who cannot use a mouse can still fully navigate the site.
  • Alternative Text for Images: Contributors are required to provide alt text or image descriptions for any images in their resources. This text alternative ensures that learners using screen readers or those with visual impairments can understand the content of images. The Hub’s platform provides fields to input alt text for uploaded images and we remind contributors of this requirement during submission.
  • Captions and Transcripts: For audio-visual materials (videos, audio recordings, webinars, etc.), the Hub requires or strongly encourages the inclusion of captions or transcripts. Videos should ideally be captioned (subtitled), and audio resources should have text transcripts available. This not only aids users who are deaf or hard of hearing, but also benefits those who prefer reading or non-native speakers who find written text easier to follow.
  • Screen Reader Compatibility: We test the Hub’s pages and content for compatibility with screen readers and other assistive software. Proper HTML semantics and ARIA labels (Accessible Rich Internet Applications attributes) are used where needed to ensure that all content is announced correctly to users relying on these tools. Forms and download links include clear labels and instructions.
  • Ongoing Accessibility Improvement: Accessibility is an ongoing effort. The Hub will periodically review its platform and content for any accessibility issues (using tools and user feedback) and will update guidelines as standards evolve (such as when WCAG is updated to newer versions). We also provide guidance to contributors on creating accessible OERs, such as tips for designing slides with accessibility in mind or choosing colorblind-friendly color palettes. If a user encounters an accessibility barrier, we have a feedback mechanism (e.g., a contact email or form) to report the issue, and the Hub team will work to resolve it promptly.

Attribution & Citation

Proper attribution is a fundamental aspect of open content use. Clear attribution strengthens the OER ecosystem by acknowledging creators and allowing the impact of their work to be tracked. The Hub provides clear guidelines on how to give credit when Hub resources are reused or remixed, in accordance with the terms of the resource’s Creative Commons license:

  • Attribution Requirements: Users of Hub content must attribute the original creator(s) whenever they reuse, redistribute, or adapt a resource. At minimum, attribution should include the title of the work, the name of the author/creator, a reference to the license, and if possible, a link back to the source or the Hub.
  • Creative Commons Best Practices: We encourage following the CC best practice of T.A.S.L (Title, Author, Source, License) for adding attributions. The Hub’s resource pages display the necessary information to make this easy (including the suggested attribution format). Users should not remove or obscure any attribution info provided with the resource.
  • Citation of Resources: In academic or professional use, if someone references a resource from the Hub (for instance, in a research paper or presentation), they should cite it as they would any open-access publication. The persistent identifier (such as a DOI or stable URL) provided by the Hub should be used in citations to ensure others can locate the material. The Hub may offer a recommended citation format on each resource page (e.g., in APA or another style) to guide users.
  • Attribution for Derivatives: If a user adapts or builds upon a Hub resource (for example, translates it or incorporates it into a new work), they must attribute the original and also indicate that changes were made. Some licenses (like CC BY-SA) will also require that the new work is shared under the same license. The policy expects users to honour these provisions.
  • No Additional Restrictions: Users should not impose more restrictive terms on a work they derived from a Hub resource than the original license allows. For instance, if they modify a CC BY resource, they cannot then distribute their version under a fully closed license or a CC license with NonCommercial if the original was CC BY – the original terms must be respected.

Quality & Review

The National Resource Hub maintains a standard of quality for the resources it hosts. While the Hub encourages open contribution, it also upholds responsibility to maintain a repository of reliable, well-documented, and policy-compliant materials. To achieve this, we have established processes for submission, review, and if necessary, removal or modification of content that does not meet our guidelines:

  • Submission Guidelines: Contributors must follow the Hub’s submission guidelines when uploading content. This includes providing complete and accurate metadata (title, author, description, keywords, etc.), selecting an appropriate open license, and ensuring the content is in a usable format. Contributors are also responsible for making sure they have the rights to all material in their resource (e.g., no infringing images or text). Any third-party materials used within a resource must themselves be openly licensed or used with permission, with proper attribution. During submission, authors will be prompted to confirm compliance with these conditions.
  • Review Process: Once a resource is submitted, the Hub’s editorial team reviews the submission before it is published openly. The review checks for: alignment with the Hub’s scope (is the content educational/research-focused and appropriate?), clarity and completeness of metadata, correctness of the chosen license, and basic quality of content (e.g., files are not corrupted, resource is legible and understandable). This is not a peer-review of academic content, but rather a compliance and quality assurance review. If issues are found, the submission may be returned to the contributor with feedback for required revisions.
  • Approval and Publishing: Content that passes review is published on the Hub and becomes openly available.
  • Monitoring and Updates: The Hub reserves the right to monitor published resources over time. If users report a problem (such as an error in the content, or a concern about copyright), or if the Hub team later discovers an issue, we may reach out to the contributor to address it. Contributors are encouraged to update their resources as needed (for example, to correct mistakes or to add new information); updates may go through a light review process as well to ensure they remain compliant with this policy. New versions of resources should retain open licenses and keep earlier attribution history intact.
  • Removal or Modification of Non-Compliant Resources: In cases where a resource is found to violate the Hub’s policies or legal requirements, the Hub may remove or restrict access to it. Reasons for removal could include: copyright infringement (e.g., it was discovered that the material wasn’t actually the author’s to share), plagiarism, inclusion of inappropriate or offensive content not in line with the Hub’s mission, or false/inaccurate metadata that misrepresents the resource. When feasible, the Hub will notify the contributor of the issue and the action being taken. We may allow the contributor to correct the issue (e.g., replace an infringing image with an open-licensed one) and reinstate the resource once it’s compliant.

Preservation & Sustainability

The National Resource Hub is dedicated to the long-term preservation and sustainability of its collections. Open resources are valuable only if they remain available and intact over time, we have strategies to safeguard content for the future:

  • Digital Preservation: All resources and metadata on the Hub are stored on reliable, secure servers with regular backups. We perform routine backup operations to protect against data loss, storing copies of content in multiple locations when possible. In the event of hardware failure or other technical issues, these backups ensure that resources can be restored. We also utilise integrity checks (like checksum validations) to detect any file corruption over time and replace files with backup copies if corruption is detected.
  • Persistent Access: We are committed to keeping resources accessible even as technology evolves. The use of persistent identifiers (as noted above in Interoperability) means that even if the Hub’s website or system infrastructure changes, those identifiers will continue to point to the resource (or its new location). If the Hub migrates to a new platform in the future, all content and metadata will be migrated as well, and redirects or identifier resolutions will be put in place so that citations and links remain valid.

Policy Review and Updates: This Open Access Policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains up-to-date with emerging best practices in OER and OEP. For questions regarding this policy, please contact: admin@teachingandlearning.ie