Finalization

Finalization and Licensing is the last step before your open textbook or resource is officially released. This stage focuses on confirming the book’s readiness for long-term public use, applying the appropriate open license, and ensuring all attributions and legal elements are correctly in place.

In the context of OER, this step is crucial—it defines how others can use, adapt, and share your work, and helps build transparency and trust with users and adopters.

What Happens in This Stage?

Finalization involves tying up loose ends from the development and review process and verifying the book’s legal and metadata details. Tasks may include:

• Applying a Creative Commons (CC) license

• Ensuring all third-party content is properly attributed and used legally

• Finalizing metadata such as title, author, subject, keywords, and version number

• Confirming contributor acknowledgments and review statements

• Exporting the book to different formats (e.g., PDF, EPUB, print-ready)

• Submitting the digital publication for print and audiobook development

Conclusion

Finalization and licensing is the finishing touch that turns your project into a true open educational resource. It protects the rights of creators, respects the rights of others, and enables instructors and students to freely use and build upon your work. A well-finalized OER increases discoverability, promotes reuse, and reinforces the collaborative, accessible mission of open education.