How do I cite an open educational resource?

Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook.

Open educational resources (OERs) “are materials for teaching or learning that are either in the public domain or have been released under a license that allows them to be freely used, changed, or shared with others” (Sparks). Cite an OER the same way you would cite any work. The following is a sample citation for a writing course available online as an OER:

“Technical Writing (ENGL 235).” OER Commons, 31 Oct. 2011, www.oercommons.org/courses/technical-writing-engl-235.

Work Cited

Sparks, Sarah D. “Open Educational Resources (OER): Overview and Definition.” Education Week, Editorial Projects in Education, 12 Apr. 2017, www.edweek.org/ew/issues/open-educational-resources-oer/index.html.