how to properly copyright my code on github?

Question

I just completed a research project in computer science for a college professor and I wanted to upload it to github so that people can use it and possibly benefit from it for free. What do I have to write at the top of my code so that no one can steal it and claim that they created it?

I am not sure how licensing works or if I need to license my code?

Answer 1

You don't need to write anything. When creating a github project, github lets you select the type of license from a drop-down listbox. It will then display that license type on your project's page, for all to see.

And if you are not sure what license to choose, it points you to https://choosealicense.com/ which explains everything and helps you make your choice.