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Research software licensing guide

Check preprequisites

historical tools for alchemy, Le Fèvre, Nicaise, 1664

Figure out whether you are restricted in choosing the terms for publishing the software.

  1. Has the funding agency imposed restrictions?

    Check the notification of funding for the project!

    ⚠️ YES

    Keep these restrictions in mind!
    Continue to point 2.

    ✅ NO

    Continue to point 2.

  2. Have all contributors to the software agreed that you publish it as Open Source?

    Preferably get the agreement in writing. An elegant way to do that, if you develop on a repository hosting platform such as GitLab or GitHub, is to require new contributors to add their name to the agreement-document with their first merge request.

    ✅ YES

    Continue to point 3.

    ⚠️ NO

    Talk to them and get their agreement!

  3. Do you use third-party code as part of your program?