Image & Video Attribution Overview

The ideal option for images, in your draft, will include source information. Ideally the URL linking to the source image or attributions for the creator of the image in the case of it being an institutional author.  Each image should follow the TASL guidelines of including Title, Author, Source, and include Links.  This section will cover how images might look in drafts and considerations for images, depending on their source. Accessibility considerations will also be covered near the end.

For Most Images:

Figure 1 shows an ideal example image that an author has copied into their Google draft (or Word).  Note the highlighted section below showing that the author has included their preferred Figure number and caption, along with a link to where they found the image.

Figure 10.2. Bones of the Anterior Skull and Face (https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/7-2-the-skull)

This is ideal for the librarians and editors, as it allows them to easily double check re-use permissions and access a copy for later uploading into a Pressbooks draft.

For this real life example, which is used in several Open RN textbooks, the librarian also chose to see if OpenStax had included it in WikiMedia Commons. This choice was based on the knowledge that OpenStax has several textbook image archives on this website.  This choice allowed for a cleaner attribution which is included below. Note that it includes a hyperlinked Title, the Author, and the hyperlinked License.  The hyperlinked title links back to the Source, in this case a Wikimedia page. The author is not linked as there isn’t a hyperlinked author on the Wikimedia page. If the original book source had been used, then the URL for that image would also be shared, preceded by the words “Access for free at”. An example of this can be seen below Figure 2. If the author is linked at the source, take a moment to check what the link directs to. We have encountered some questionable content left by authors that have caused images to be changed in second editions.

The “by” and “is licensed under” are also standard for CC licensing.

“704_Skull-01.jpg” by OpenStax College is licensed under CC BY 3.0

Depending on the author’s preference, this might only be included in the metadata for the image, as a footnote next to the in-text callout for the Figure, or both.  Open RN places does all three, while other textbooks chose to include attributions as an add-on in their chapter reference lists.

The following is another OpenStax image from the same book, however it was remade and has yet to be updated in Wikimedia.  For simplicity, it was attributed based on the preference shown for that source:

Figure 10.4. Hyoid (https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/7-2-the-skull)

From bottom of online text page:

The following is then the attribution for this image.  Note the title was not linked due to the presence of the URL.  The author was also not linked for the same reason.

”Hyoid Bone” by OpenStax is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/1-introduction

Author created images:

“Tripod_position.png” by Nic Ashman, Chippewa Valley Technical College is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Note that this title isn’t linked. That is because it is author created and doesn’t live online anywhere.  Future attributions would link back to our sources.