Which Creative Commons licence should I use for a research article?
Apply CC BY 4.0 to your research article. That licence lets readers reuse, redistribute and build on your work without asking permission each time, and it meets the requirements of most funders and journals. No other licence gives the same clarity for the widest possible audience.
CC BY 4.0 Is The Default For Research Articles
CC BY 4.0 is the most permissive license in the current suite. It allows sharing and adaptations, including for commercial purposes, as long as the reuser provides attribution. A reader can copy the text, translate it, incorporate it into a systematic review, or use it in a commercial product without tracking down the author for a separate license. The only condition is proper attribution under the 4.0 terms.
Why Version 4.0 Matters
Version 4.0 is the only version you should apply to a new article. It is designed as a single international license and replaces the older jurisdiction-specific ports. The official Creative Commons FAQ directs licensors to use 4.0 for a new license unless there is a specific, informed reason to use an older version.
If you control the copyright and no funder, journal or institutional policy overrides your choice, CC BY 4.0 is the license that maximises reuse. It most fully supports the five permissions open educational resources need: retain, reuse, revise, remix and redistribute. An academic citation and a license attribution serve different purposes; do both when both apply.
The Decisive Exception: Funder and Journal Requirements
The decisive exception to the CC BY 4.0 default is that a funder, journal or institutional policy may require a different license. Many open access mandates specify a particular license, often CC BY 4.0 or CC BY-SA 4.0, but sometimes CC BY-NC or even CC BY-NC-ND. The policy document for your specific funder or target publication is the authority, not a general rule.
Check The Published Article, Not Just The Guidelines
Before you submit a manuscript, locate the exact license requirement in the funder's open access policy and the journal's author guidelines. If the policy says "a Creative Commons license is required," that is not enough; you need the named license. If the policy names no license, CC BY 4.0 is the safest choice for the reasons above.
A journal may state a license in its instructions to authors but actually apply a different license to published articles. Read the license notice on a published article in the same journal, not the submission page. The license notice should name the exact license and version, such as CC BY 4.0, and link to its deed or legal code.
| License | Best For |
|---|---|
| CC BY 4.0 | When no policy overrides and you want the widest reuse, including commercial use and adaptation. |
| CC BY-SA 4.0 | When the funder or journal requires that adaptations stay under the same or a compatible license. ShareAlike restricts some downstream reuse. |
| CC BY-NC 4.0 | When you want to prevent commercial reuse of the article itself. Note that NC is defined by the use, not the user, and its boundary is not a bright line. |
| CC BY-ND 4.0 | When you want to allow sharing but forbid anyone from sharing an adapted version. Translation is normally an adaptation, so ND blocks translated versions. |
| CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 | A narrow license: noncommercial use only, and any adaptation must use the same license. Suitable only if the funder or journal requires it. |
| CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 | The most restrictive license. It permits only noncommercial sharing of unmodified copies. Rarely used for research articles that intend to be open access. |
| CC0 | Use for data or databases where you want to remove all copyright and related-rights conditions. CC0 is not one of the six CC licenses; it is a public domain dedication. |
Separating Open License Permission From Other Obligations
The CC license grants copyright permission. It does not replace academic citation, institutional policy, funder rules, or statutory exceptions such as fair use or fair dealing. A reuser must still cite the source according to the norms of their field. The license attribution requirement is separate and may be satisfied in a reasonable manner that does not match a citation style.
Where The License Does Not Reach
If a use is already authorised by an exception or limitation in copyright law, the license conditions do not apply to that use. Their scope varies by jurisdiction. Do not assume a particular use is free of license conditions without checking the applicable law. The license applies only where copyright or similar rights require permission.
Moral rights, privacy rights and contract terms can also restrict uses that the license would otherwise allow. The 4.0 legal code handles moral rights only to a limited extent and does not license trademark or patent rights. A journal's submission agreement may impose additional constraints beyond the license.
The Single Most Practical Thing To Do Next
Before you submit the manuscript, open your funder's open access policy document and your target journal's author guidelines. Find the sentence that names a Creative Commons license. If the sentence names CC BY 4.0 or no license at all, apply CC BY 4.0 to your article. If it names a different license, apply that license exactly as written, including the version number. If the policy says only "a Creative Commons license" without naming which one, email the journal editor or funder contact and ask for the specific license. The one thing that most often goes wrong is applying the wrong license because the policy was read too quickly.
Common Questions
Can I use CC BY-NC 4.0 for my research article?
Yes, but only if your funder or journal allows it. The NonCommercial condition in version 4.0 is defined by the use, not the user. A commercial publisher republishing your article for profit is clearly commercial, but many everyday reuses by readers may also be restricted. CC BY 4.0 avoids that uncertainty.
What if my funder requires CC BY-SA 4.0?
Use it. ShareAlike means any adaptation of your article that is shared must use CC BY-SA 4.0 or a license Creative Commons has officially named as compatible. This can deter some reuse, but it is the policy. Do not substitute a different license.
Can I apply a CC license to an article that includes third party content?
Only if you control the rights to all third party content, or that content is clearly marked as excluded from the license. The license notice should explicitly exclude material you do not control. Do not apply a CC license to material the licensor does not control.
What is the safest next step if I am unsure?
Contact the research office or open access officer at your institution. They work with journal and funder policies daily. Ask them: 'Which Creative Commons license does our funder require for this article?' Their answer is your answer.