What is an Open Educational Resource (OER)?
Educational materials that are licensed in ways that allow us to legally and freely copy, use, adapt and re-share them. OERs include courses, textbooks, assignments, tests, projects, software, audio, video and animation. (Sources: UNESCO and Open Education Resource Foundation)
What is an open textbook?
A type of OER that is licensed under an open copyright license and made freely available (in digital or print formats) for anyone to read and share. Depending on the type of license that has been applied, open textbooks are also able to be adapted, modified and re-published.
Grant funding
What can the grant funding be used for?
The Open Textbooks @ UQ grant funding is designed to compensate authors for the time invested in the process of developing an open textbook and may be used to cover some of the costs incurred, such as proof reading and editing or creating supplementary materials.
How much funding is available?
- Substantially adapt an existing open textbook to your instructional needs – $2,000.
- Create an open textbook to replace a commercially published textbook for your course – $4,000.
When will the funding be made available?
Half of the funding will be paid to you at the commencement of the project with the remainder being paid upon completion.
Why is this funding program available?
The Library is committed to three priority areas relating to open textbooks:
- To improve the student experience by providing access to low cost learning resources.
- To deliver value to the Library’s collection budget for learning resources by providing an alternative to commercially published textbooks.
- To encourage cross faculty and institutional collaborations on open publishing projects for mutual benefit.
The grant program exists to support these priorities by providing authors with a stipend to assist with the costs of developing open textbooks for UQ courses.
What will not be accepted for the grant funding?
- Incorporating an existing open textbook into a course without substantial adaption and additional content.
- Open textbook projects that have already been completed.
- Creation of open textbooks for commercial publication or profit.
- Creation of open textbooks without a Creative Commons licence applied that allows derivatives.
- Creation of OER that are not textbooks.
- Open textbooks not intended for use by students.
Applying for the Open Textbooks @ UQ grant
What is the application process?
Complete and submit a grant application form. We will assess your application and contact you to discuss your project further. If approved, you will be sent an invitation to create an account in Pressbooks and documentation to assist you with developing your open textbook. The Library will provide support if you need it.
Can I apply for more than one grant?
Yes.
When will successful applicants be notified?
The Library Grant Program is run on a rolling basis with no specific cut off date for submissions. Applications will be considered as they are submitted and applicants advised of the outcome within approximately two weeks.
If I am successful, what is required?
You must create and publish your proposed open textbook in Open Textbooks @ UQ on the Pressbooks platform within 12 months of receiving the first grant payment. Your textbook should have a Creative Commons licence that allows derivatives.
As well as publication in Pressbooks, a completed version of your text should be uploaded to UQ eSpace.
Creating your Pressbook
Do I need experience with using Pressbooks?
No. We can help you to get started using the platform. Existing text can be uploaded in multiple formats. Help guides and resources are available:
- Open Textbooks @ UQ guide and templates has information on getting started, adding content and requirements for publishing.
- Pressbooks User Guide provides detailed instructions for all aspects of book creation for this platform.
The Library will provide support with technical elements, including assistance with creating interactive content, accessibility, copyright and metadata.
Where do I log in to create my Pressbook?
UQ’s Pressbooks site is located at uq.pressbooks.pub.
You will be sent an invitation to edit your book once it has been created.
My manuscript is already written in Word. Can I upload this file to Pressbooks?
Yes, you can either copy each chapter into Pressbooks or you can import a Word .docx file.
Will the Library provide editing and proof reading services?
No, these aspects of your project are not supported by the Library, however if you are the recipient of a grant, you may allocate a portion of your funding for this purpose.
The Library will check your Pressbook before publication to ensure copyright and accessibility requirements have been met.
Copyright
What do I need to consider about copyright?
It is important to make sure that you have the appropriate rights to all the content you plan on including in your Pressbooks publication.
Refer to Using Copyright and Creative Commons licensed materials in your work.
Publishing your Pressbook
How soon will I have to complete my project?
Within 12 months of being appointed a grant.
What do I have to do before publication?
Check Author and publisher responsibilities to ensure you have completed all the requirements, including:
- All contributors have signed an author agreement and you have returned them to the Library.
- Your content is accessible.
- Your content meets copyright requirements.
Notify the Library at pressbooks@library.uq.edu.au 1 month prior to publication to allow enough time for final checking of the content.
How can I get an ISBN for my book?
The Library will arrange an ISBN and this will be discussed with you as part of the project.
How can I get a DOI (Digital Object Identifer) for my book?
The Library can mint a DOI for works published in Open Textbooks @ UQ that are deposited into UQ eSpace. This will be discussed with you as part of the project.
How will my published book be made available to students?
Students can access your book through their course reading list. It will also be available via Open Textbooks @ UQ and Library Search.
You can also export your book as a Common Cartridge file with web links and upload it to Learn.UQ.
More information about Pressbooks
Where can I find out more about OER and open textbooks?
Please refer to our Open educational resources (OER) guide or contact your librarian for more information.
Who can I contact with any questions?
Please contact the Library’s Digital Learning team: pressbooks@library.uq.edu.au