Images

Browsing Image Databases or Collections

Browsing for images from reliable sources like licensed image databases or autoritative web sources can be a good way to ensure that you are finding images that you can use appropriately. Check out Image Databases and Collections tabs in this guide for image collections organized by subject or format.

Google Image Search

Google image search is a useful tool as it allows you to filter images by license and usage; using more openly licensed materials ensures you are not violating any copyright or use restrictions.

You can do an initial search on images.google.com using your search keywords. Once you've done the initial search, you can click"Tools" to get several filtering options, including size, color, type, time, and usage rights. Usage rights can be especially helpful if you are looking for images with fewer restrictions.

*A note: always double check the usage terms on the original image.

Reverse Google Image Search

If you're unsure of the source of an image you've found, you can use a Reverse Google Image search. See the video below for details.

Images can serve as excellent sources for research, or to enhance writing and presentations. Like other scholarly sources however, you should carefully evaluate images before using them.

Consider the following when determining whether to use an image as a source or as an illustration:

• What is your goal in using an image? Does it contribute something that cannot be communicated by text?
• Does the image you want to use come from a reliable source such as an image database or website?
• Do you know who created the image and for what purpose?
• Am I using the image from its original source or has the image been modified? (look for clues like licenses or attributions)
• Do I have all the information I need to properly attribute the image?
• Am I allowed to use the image given its licenses or restrictions?
• Does the quality of the image meet your needs? For instance, you will want a higher quality image for a presentation vs. a paper.

While the internet makes it easy to find images to use, it is important to be mindful about how the materials you want to use are licensed, or how creators give permission to use those materials.

Some general considerations:

• Always double check the license or permissions of any images you are using.
• Fair Dealing and Educational Exceptions in the Copyright Act allow for some expanded uses of copyrighted images. You can read more about this in the Copyright and Licensing section in this guide.
• If using materials from UCalgary licensed databases or sources, pay attention to the usage requirements of these databases. Generally they are for educational use only (and not for use on public materials or sites).
• If using images you've found on the internet, pay careful attention to the licensing or permissions. If you can't find a license statement on the image itself, there may be a general copyright policy for the entire site. Look for links labeled "terms of use," "copyright," "use and permissions," or "rights and reproductions."
• Using public domain images or images with creative commons licenses can be a good way to ensure you are appropriately using images, as these licenses allow for greater usage and re-use. Keep an eye out for image sources with the open access icon in this guide to find sources for these materials.
• Copyright, public domain or creative commons do not fully capture the variety of protocols that may exist to govern the use of cultural materials, particularly Indigenous cultural materials. You can read more about considerations in using cultural materials in the Ethical and Cultural Considerations section of this guide.
• Like all sources you use, images should always be appropriately cited. You can read more about how to cite images in the Citing section of this guide.

Some content from this guide has been adapted from Copyright at UBC, Instructor FAQ, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.