Template:Ph:Image page
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[edit] What to include on an image description page
The image description page is the appropriate place to put information about:
- The author and immediate source of the image
- The copyright status of the image
- General descriptive details
- Technical details about the image
Some image file formats allow the information to be "embedded" in the image itself. Most Wikipedia readers won't be able to or won't know how to access this information, so you should duplicate it on the image description page.
Most articles that use images will have a caption, but this will likely be shorter than the image's full description, and more closely related to the text of the article.
Keep in mind that people who see this image in an article and click on it for more information (or to enlarge it) will arrive at the image description page.
[edit] Source and author
If you downloaded this image from the web, you should give the URL. Example:
- Source: Downloaded from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4280841.stm
If you got the image from an offline source, you should specify. For example:
- Source: Scanned from public record #5253 on file with Anytown, Somestate public surveyor
It is important that you list the author of the image (especially if different from the source), which is important both for copyright and for informational purposes. Some copyright licenses require that the original author receive credit for their work. Examples:
- Author: The British Broadcasting Corporation
- Photographer: User:JS (Jane Smith)
- Author: 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica
See also Wikipedia:Cite your sources.
[edit] Copyright status
You should choose the most appropriate tag from Wikipedia:Image copyright tags. Please be aware that the copyright holder (the original creator of the image, their employer, or an official designee), not the uploader, decides on the licensing for the image.
Please read Wikipedia:Copyrights, Wikipedia:Image use policy, and Wikipedia:Image copyright tags for information about what images are acceptable to upload. In general, it is strongly preferred that Wikipedia uses public domain or free-license images (such as those using the GFDL or Creative Commons licenses that do not restrict commercial use), but some images not under a free license are also acceptable under fair use (see below).
If the copyright status is unknown, or if you are uncertain what licensing your image is qualified for, document everything you know about the source, author, and dating of the image, and use one of the copyright status tags that flags it for attention. This will help others use the image and to reduce the chance of its deletion as a possible copyright infringement. Such images are generally problematic, so please try to determine the copyright status or the year the image was originally created if at all possible, since you're likely to know more about the image and subject than those who end up having to try to work out if it's infringing with little or no information about it. If the image is a photograph or scan of a work of art, building, statue, illustration, old book or something else which predated the image, please give some information about the subject as well, since the effective date of copyright is often that of the subject, not of the image itself.
Adding explicit copyright information helps make Wikipedia more useful for third parties who wish to reuse our content, just as many people reuse our text. It also allows users to edit images in greater confidence that their work will not be wasted if we subsequently discover that an image is copyrighted and not licensed under the GFDL (or a similarly open license).
Editors do make an effort to address non-free images, either by obtaining new licensing terms from the original copyright holders, by uploading a substitute image which is more freely licensed, or by restricting their use to contexts where one would find that the use is a fair use.
[edit] Fair use rationale
If you are claming fair use, you must include two things on the image description page:
- An appropriate fair use license tag. See Wikipedia:Image copyright tags/Fair use for a list.
- A detailed fair use rationale.
Images that do not include both a fair use tag and a detailed fair use rationale will be deleted!
Not all inclusions of fair use material violate the GFDL. If there is a significant reason to include the image and no permission can be obtained, use of the image may still be allowed under the GFDL. However, a justification is necessary. This justification will help other users determine if the "fair use" could apply to a wide variety of uses or a narrow range of uses. It will also help determine if the given claim of fair use is appropriate for Wikipedia in the first place.
Justification should be done in two places. First, add the following hidden text in the article:
- <!-- FAIR USE of IMAGENAME.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IMAGENAME.jpg for rationale -->
Second, add a detailed fair use rationale to the image description page in addition to the fair use tag. This is required. It is recommended that you place this rationale just below the fair use tag. Below are some basic examples. Please note that you must write your own specific text, do not copy these examples word-for-word.
CD album cover art
- === Fair use in [[ARTICLE NAME]] ===
- Though this image is subject to copyright, I feel its use is covered by the U.S. fair use laws because:
- # It is a low resolution copy of a CD album cover.
- # It does not limit the copyright owner's rights to sell the CD album in any way.
- # Copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the album artwork on another CD.
- # The image on the cover is significant because it was made by a famous artist, [[name]].
- ~~~~
Historical photographs
- === Fair use for [[ARTICLE NAME]] ===
- Though this image is subject to copyright, I feel its use is covered by the U.S. fair use laws because:
- # It is a historically significant photo of a famous individual. (Add sources to backup this claim, like news articles mentioning this image (and not simply using it))
- # It is of much lower resolution than the original (copies made from it will be of very inferior quality).
- # The photo is only being used for informational purposes.
- # Its inclusion in the article adds significantly to the article because it shows the subject of this article and how the event depicted was very historically significant to the general public.
- ~~~~
Again, the above are only general examples; for more information on what needs to be included in this entry see Wikipedia:Fair use. The information should be as specific as possible, i.e. why you need to use the image as part of the article. Adding this information is no guarantee that the image will not be later removed, but it will demonstrate a rationale to others that you may have a valid justification for including fair use materials that can be used under the GFDL.
Remember that each fair use must be explained and a rationale must be given for each specific use.
[edit] Description of the image
This should not be alternate text (see Wikipedia:Alternative text for images), but rather a full description. This is useful for users who do not have direct access to the image.
If you made the image yourself, there are certain questions which only you can answer. Because you may not be around to answer those questions later, you should include this information in the description page when you upload the image. This will help other editors to make better use of the image, and it will be more informative for readers.
For pictures:
- Where was the picture taken?
- When was the picture taken?
- What are the names of all the people and notable objects visible in the picture?
- What is happening in the picture?
For synthetic pictures:
- Diagrams and markings should be explained as completely as possible.
- If necessary, a legend or key should be provided.
Technical information for pictures:
- What model camera was used, and lenses? (Digital or analog?)
- Who was the photographer?
- What were the exposure settings?
- What post-production modifications where made? (adjustments to color, contrast etc.)
Technical information for synthetic images:
- What software was used to create or edit the image?
- What pre-existing sources (free images, photos, etc) were used as inputs?
General information:
- What is the picture intended to illustrate?
- Were there any interesting circumstances surrounding the creation of the image worth noting?
[edit] Relevant links (internal)
Example:
- See also: Flag of the United Kingdom
[edit] Uploading original images
If you have created an image yourself, and you have a higher-quality source file in a format such as XCF, PSD, or Adobe Illustrator Artwork, you may want to consider uploading that source file so that other Wikipedians can more easily modify it if the need arises. Link the source file from the image description page, and add a link to Wikipedia:Image source files. If the source file is too large to upload, try compressing it with a utility such as WinZip or gzip.
Wikipedia supports displaying SVG images, so it's generally best to upload SVG copies of images in place of raster renderings of them. OpenOffice.org Draw can save images in the SVG format, so it is generally not necessary to upload the OpenOffice.org Draw source file in addition to a copy of the image in SVG format.
[edit] What happens when you upload
The description text you supply during the upload process becomes the initial text of the image description page. (It also becomes the edit summary for the initial version of the file.)
[edit] Inter-language coordination
Please avoid adding a description in a language other than English. Instead, use interlanguage links to link to the image description page on the appropriate-language wiki, where you should upload a second copy of the image for local use.
