If you would like to publish a contribution on the Open Education Platform you will find the necessary information here.
The Open Education Platform is available to all interested authors for the publication of their contributions dealing with various topics relating to the business sciences. The contributions are assessed in a double-blind peer review process on the basis of defined criteria and then published if they satisfy the quality standards of the platform.
The platform can be used to publish contributions on all aspects of teaching and research undertaken at business schools. The following overview provides some guidance on potential topics and subject areas. This list of topics is not exhaustive and will be continually extended.
There are two types of contributions that can be submitted to the platform: teaching resources and scientific contributions that relate to teaching in business schools and promote the further education of lecturers. The following types of contribution are possible.
A teaching resource is a thematically self-contained educational unit with at least one learning objective. For each teaching resource, you create as an author, you will also be required to write a teacher's note, that provides information on how the material can be incorporated into teaching, the learning objectives pursued, and any experience gained with it to date. A previous application of the teaching material in class is therefore mandatory. The intention is to contribute towards intellectual knowledge and education. In the case of exercises, simulation games and presentations, please also provide where appropriate all solutions and comments for the review process. As an author, you retain the final decision on whether to publish the solutions as well.
Teaching resources consist of one or more of the following types of publication:
A textbook is a contribution suitable both for use in the classroom and also for individual study. It provides the reader with an educational introduction to a specific subject. It covers core theories and axioms and provides exercises, case studies, and/or examples for discussion. It is characterised by a balanced approach, discussing different schools of thought and controversial academic issues.
Lecture notes are important support materials that accompany a course. They provide both information about the most important theories and principles that are covered in the course, as well as practice materials and case studies. Lecture notes are mainly used to accompany lectures with large numbers of students. The materials are designed to facilitate preparation and follow up and to prevent students being preoccupied with taking notes during the lecture.
A set of exercises on the Open Education Platform takes the form of systematic practise materials on a particular teaching topic or a particular theory. These materials are designed for educational purposes and are tailored to the needs of a specific teaching unit. The purpose of exercises is to enable students to make gradual progress in the subject matter/theory by means of practical tasks.
A case study sets out, in detailed and narrative form, a problem from the real world which has been encountered either by individuals or management committees of businesses, institutions or organisations. A case study enables students to put themselves in the position of the protagonists, to analyse the situation on the basis of relevant theories, and to develop their own solutions to the problem.
A simulation game is a method of simulating complex systems on the Open Education Platform. In an educational context, this method is used to illustrate practical problem scenarios in the real world. Its function is to allow students to better understand a subject through interaction and/or to apply a theory in practice during the simulation. In addition, please supply game instructions with this material and information and resources relevant to completing the game.
On the Open Education Platform, a presentation is to take the form of a talk on a specific teaching topic together with documentation and a sequential description of the content and the (technical) resources. A set of slides will not suffice; a detailed script of the talk is required instead.
For the purpose of the Open Education Platform, an e-learning tool is an online learning resource dealing with a specific teaching topic or a specific theory. This tool can complement a teaching unit or be used for self-study. Its purpose is to allow students to work on a subject or theory using a new or supplementary approach and at a learning pace adapted to their individual needs.
A video contribution can have an instructive or illustrative function and can supplement other teaching resources. Video recordings of face-to-face lectures and screencasting videos can be used in a blended learning approach. Audio clips can be used to particularly good effect in foreign language teaching. Only self-produced videos and audio clips will be considered and subjected to the review process.
This category covers teaching and learning materials that do not correspond to any of the above publication types. It also covers forms of distance learning such as webinars or MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). Individual types of publication such as e-learning tools, presentations or simulation games can also be developed as apps and either submitted in this format, or documented on the platform and accessed via a link.
Scientific contributions are any form of contribution in which the authors document the results of their own continuing academic or teaching education, and which therefore contribute to the knowledge of the academic community. The following types of contribution are possible:
With their own specialist or teaching-oriented blog, lecturers can make contributions to current topics under discussion within the academic community. Blogs can be admitted to the review process if they have been regularly updated for at least one year. The blog should be accompanied by an author's note which describes the objectives of the blog, where it was published, the experience gained from writing it and how it can benefit the academic community.
A conference evaluation provides an introduction to the subject matter of an academic conference and sets out what was discussed at the event. Of particular interest in this context are the thematic and methodological range of the contributions and any possible controversies arising at the conference. Important discussion points and findings should be recorded and future research needs outlined.
A conference proceeding is equivalent to a talk in written form or a theoretical and empirical or practical paper that was presented at a conference. This form of contribution is characterised by a clear discussion of a question or problem as well as consistent argumentation and conclusion. A set of slides will not suffice; a fully developed transcript of the talk is required instead.
Based on published studies, a state of research review consists of a critical evaluation and systematic presentation of the existing literature on a particular topic. Various studies are grouped together, summarised, analysed and compared. The function of such reviews is to present the knowledge thus gathered in a compact way and to generate new knowledge by bringing together and comparing different studies. The potential readership consists of academics in a particular discipline.
Academic reviews are a critical engagement with a particular publication; the subject can be a monograph, an edited collection or a single article. Reviews are intended to give the reader an overview of recent work in the subject or area of interest, and to assist in deciding which texts to select for further reading.
An expert interview is a Q&A session with a qualified person who has subject-specific knowledge and skills as a result of many years of experience. It is a method of qualitative data collection, the purpose of which is to acquire a specific set of insights. An expert interview summarizes the core assertions of the interview in a systematic form and contextualizes them as necessary.
In the context of the Open Education Platform, a working paper is an academic article that is made available to a community to stimulate the discussion of a theoretical or practical topic throughout that community.
A research report on the Open Education Platform takes the form of a final report on a project; it summarises the results of an (external) research assignment undertaken for a private or public customer.
Quality assurance of teaching resources is ensured by means of a double-blind peer review process. It takes about 12 to 16 weeks to review your document, in some exceptions it might take longer. Another 4 to 8 weeks are needed normally to revise your document in order to get published. Before the publication there is always a final review by the head of the Editorial Board. In detail, the workflow is as follows:
The review and publication workflow in the case of scientific contributions is the same as that for teaching resources. However, there is only one review.
The submitted texts are reviewed using the following assessment criteria.
| Orientation with regard to learning objectives | The learning objectives should be clearly identifiable and appropriate to the academic level (BA, MA etc.). |
| Relevance | The topic must be relevant to the academic and/or practical aspects of the subject; the problem and goals must be clearly formulated. |
| Breadth and depth | The teaching material should be sufficiently extensive - measured against the learning objectives - and show adequate breadth as well as depth. The degree of detail is level-appropriate; there are no unwarranted simplifications. |
| Factual accuracy | The teaching material must be free of factual errors and content must be consistent with the current state of research. Concepts should be introduced, explained and used consistently. |
| Intellectual challenge | The target audience should be intellectually challenged and learn through the use of the teaching material. Tasks must be challenging and level-appropriate. |
| Educational aspects | The teaching material should convey the contents in a suitably educational form. Any multimedia elements must be suitably integrated. |
| Documentation | The resources used must be fully documented; graphics and illustrations must be labelled and reference sources cited. |
| Form and language | The learning material should be visually appealing and clearly structured. The citation method and bibliographies must be consistent. The language must be understandable, appropriate to the target group and stylistically pleasing. |
| Final decision | The teaching resource can be recommended for use in teaching. |
For individual types of publication, additional evaluation criteria are taken into account for the purposes of assessment:
| Exercises | An exercise should contribute to a better understanding of theory and practice. |
| Simulation game | The scope of the simulation game and the roles must be clearly defined. The time allowed for the game must be realistic. |
| Presentation | A presentation should contain innovative elements with respect to the theories, concepts, solution methods or examples presented. |
| E-learning tool | The instructions must be clearly written, the navigation should be intuitive. All of the tools and links function correctly. |
| Case study | The case in question must be complex, relevant and can be used over an extended period of time. The solution should be open or at least allow differing conclusions to be reached. |
| Conformity | The contribution must be consistent in terms of content and form with the standard expectations with regard to the selected type of publication. |
| Breadth and depth | The contribution must deal with the selected topic in appropriate breadth and depth and be sufficiently extensive. |
| Factual accuracy | The resources used must be fully documented; graphics and illustrations must be labelled and reference sources cited. |
| Form and language | The learning material should be visually appealing and clearly structured. The citation method and bibliographies must be consistent. The language must be understandable, appropriate to the target group and stylistically pleasing. |
| Final decision | The contribution adds to the knowledge of the academic community in the subject area. |
For individual types of publication, additional evaluation criteria are taken into account for the purposes of assessment:
State of research review
Expert interview
Working paper
Research report
Conference proceeding
Blog | The contribution should be relevant to the academic discourse in the subject area and is theoretically, conceptually and terminologically linked to the current literature. The problem studied, approach and/or results should be innovative and relevant. |
Please use the template we have provided for your publication. For case studies the template is mandatory. Please prepare the teaching materials and the didactic reflection as separate documents, each with its own table of contents, appendix and bibliography. If your contribution already has a suitable layout that corresponds to the function of the text, it is also possible to preserve this layout. The editor may ask you to adapt your individual layout in order to publish your text. Your text must be submitted in completely anonymous form (i.e. ensure you remove references to authors in footnotes and any logos etc.).
Below you will find information on the submission guidelines and material required to upload your contribution.
| Cover sheet | The cover sheet is created by the editorial associate. Please prepare the following information for your submission: Names of the authors, institution, title of the document, topic, learning resources included, academic level (Bachelor/Master/FE etc.), language |
| Title sheet | The title sheet is created by the editorial associate. Please prepare the following information for your submission: contact data, source citations/copyright of the texts and images used, version, storage format |
| Keywords | Three to five keywords |
| Abstract | Summary in a max. of 400 characters |
| Teacher’s note | Explanatory notes on the use of the teaching material by teaching staff.
This should include answers to the following questions:
|
| Structure | Title, list of contents, teacher's note, text/teaching material, bibliography |
| Literature references | Citations within the text (author, year, page). Additional references in footnotes, no endnotes |
| Literature | Literature citations per the APA format |
| Cover sheet | The cover sheet is created by the editorial associate. Please prepare the following information for your submission: Names of the authors, institution, title of the document, publication type |
| Title sheet | The title sheet is created by the editorial associate. Please prepare the following information for your submission: contact data, version |
| Authors’ note | In a personal statement the authors are to specify the lessons learned from their further education or research activities |
| Structure | Title, table of contents (no more than three levels of structure, decimal classification), text, personal conclusions, any bibliography |
| Literature references | Any citations directly in the text (author, year, page). Additional references in footnotes, no endnotes |
| Literature | Literature citations per the APA format |
The provisions of Swiss law determine whether you are authorised to publish a contribution on OEP.
As an author you may only publish your texts on OEP if you have the appropriate rights to online publication. This depends on whether you have already published the contribution and where. In this connection, there are three different kinds of circumstances:
Provided you have not already published your texts through a publishing house and have not assigned any rights or licences to your documents to a publisher under an author's agreement, then there is nothing to prevent a first publication of the document on OEP.
If the initial publication of your document has been undertaken by a publishing house, republication on OEP is only permitted if you retain the right to publish online. You will have to observe the relevant contractual arrangements with your publisher. If you have assigned "all rights to the work" or "full copyright" to the publishing house, then this would include the rights to online publication and hence publication on OEP would not be permitted. If, on the other hand only the "rights to publication" have been transferred or licensed, then this agreement expressly excludes the publisher’s control of online material, meaning that it may be published on OEP
Many publishers allow authors to archive their texts in institutional repositories like OEP; however this is often subject to conditions such as the observation of waiting periods between the date of first publication by the publisher and open access provision online. If you are with a publisher who does not allow their authors to themselves archive their texts, you can amend the standard publishing agreements by adding supplementary contractual clauses that give you the right to simultaneous open access provision of your work. The same applies when it comes to avoiding contractually-specified waiting periods.
If you are unsure whether you are allowed to publish your contribution online, we recommend that you contact your publishing house. Even in the event that you have clearly signed away the right to online publication to the publisher, you are still entitled to obtain permission for republication on OEP from the publisher.
Open access platforms usually only require simple authorisation when it comes to publishing texts; authors are not usually required to assign an exclusive licence to the platform operator or transfer extensive rights to the operator in another form because this is fundamentally contrary to the open access philosophy. This means that the republication of your contribution on OEP is usually not prevented by previous publication on another open access portal.
You as an OEP author assign to the platform operators the simple right of use of your submissions in order to make them publicly available on the platform for a third party for the intended purpose. Assuming you have not already assigned your intellectual property rights to a publishing house through a closed access publication agreement, then you remain in full possession of the rights to your contributions.
In accordance with the above, the operators of OEP therefore permit further publication of the contributions on other open access platforms or by publishing houses. This also applies in the cases in which a contribution is initially published on OEP.
In the event of the republication of a contribution - by whichever method - it is mandatory to disclose the place of the initial publication.
So that teaching materials created by the authors themselves can be used by other lecturers in an unrestricted manner, on uploading these to OEP, the author(s) assign to the operators as well as to all users of the published material the right to use and change the material for educational purposes. It is mandatory to mention the name of the author(s) every time the material is used by someone else.
This corresponds to a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License 
.
On uploading scientific contributions to OEP, the author(s) assign to the operators as well as to all users of the published material the right to use the materials, mentioning the name of the author. Scientific contributions may not be changed nor used for commercial purposes. This corresponds to a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License 
.
Prior to publication of a document, the operators of OEP will carry out a review workflow for quality assurance purposes. Nevertheless, the platform operators are not in a position to verify an author’s entitlement to publication of contributions on OEP because they have no knowledge of possible contractual arrangements which may be in place with publishing houses. The responsibility for the legality of publication on OEP therefore rests with you alone as the author(s) of the contribution. Authors who submit material for publication on OEP therefore automatically assume responsibility for the fact that the copyright status of the text is such that the platform operators are permitted to publish it. If you publish your materials illegally on the platform and the operators are sued for compensation by the copyright owner, then you as the author will be required to indemnify the platform operators.
The operators of the platform assume no liability with regard to the topicality, accuracy, completeness or quality of the information provided on the website itself or within the contributions published on the platform. The responsibility for the content of published contributions rests with the authors alone.
The platform operators expressly reserve the right to change the information on their website at any time and without prior notice. The right to lodge claims against the operator in connection with losses of a tangible or intangible nature which arise as a result of access to, usage or non-usage of the published information, from misuse of links or because of technical faults is - to the extent permitted by law - excluded.
The data entered by you on this site will be transmitted in non-encrypted form. It is thus possible that data might be lost en route or could be viewed by unauthorised third parties. The online transmission of personal data will thus be at your own risk.
Your transferred data will be stored on the server of our contractual partner who is contractually obligated to store the data with all due care and to protect it from access by third parties. Access to the data is only granted to employees of our contractual partner who require it for the fulfilment of their duties. For our part we will not pass on to third parties any data not publicly visible on the platform.
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