Recognising research software: licensing, credit, and quality

Software is a cornerstone of modern research, but too often it’s overlooked as a formal research output. This session is for research software engineers, and researchers who want to ensure their code is protected, reusable, and professionally recognised.

We’ll unpack the essentials of copyright and licensing for research software: how to choose a licence that aligns with your goals, how to navigate intellectual property (IP) ownership, and how to ensure your software is legally reusable by others. You’ll learn the difference between permissive and restrictive licences, and how to avoid the pitfalls of leaving your code unlicensed, when default copyright laws can block reuse entirely.

Licensing is more than a legal formality. It’s also a tool for making your software FAIR: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. This helps ensure your work is citable, sustainable, and impactful. Properly licensed and shareable software is a citable output, and your university library may have tools to help you demonstrate its visibility and impact. Licencing will help you build a professional software portfolio that earns recognition alongside papers and datasets.

We’ll also explore how to handle third-party dependencies, how to document your licensing choices, and how to align with institutional or funder policies. Whether you’re releasing a major tool or a small utility script, this session will give you the confidence to license your work effectively and advocate for its value.

Join us for lunch at 12:30 - the workshop begins at 13:00.