Template:Ph:Image page

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Contents

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 everyone who sees this image in an article and clicks on it for more information (or to enlarge it) arrives at the image description page.

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.

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 the non-free use policy (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 that fit Wikipedia's non-free use policy.

Use rationale

When non-free media is used on Wikipedia, a justification for its usage, called a non-free use rationale (aka use rationale or fair use rationale), must be presented in the image description page, explaining how the image is used in a way consistent with Wikipedia's non-free content criteria. This justification will help other users determine if the claim of 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.

If you are using non-free images or other media, you must include two things on the image description page:

  1. An appropriate copyright tag explaining the basic claim of fair use. See Wikipedia:Image copyright tags/Non-free for a list.
  2. A detailed fair use rationale. A separate rationale must be provided each time the image is used in an article. The name of the article the image is used in must be included in the rationale.

Be sure to examine the guidelines on non-free content before uploading the file. Wikipedia's policies are more restrictive than United States fair use law, in terms of what is and is not allowed.

Note: Non-free images that do not include both a copyright tag and a use rationale may be deleted after seven days.

Necessary components

A well-written use rationale must explain how the use of this media meets the Non-free content criteria and should state:

  • What proportion of the copyrighted work is used and to what degree does it compete with the copyright holder's usage? For example, if the image is a photograph or logo, the entire work is likely being used. A screenshot that reveals the most important discovery of a documentary or the ending of a movie, for example, though a very small portion of the work, may disproportionately compete with the copyright holder's use. In the case of a music sample, the length should be no longer than 10 percent of the song's original length or 30 seconds, whichever is shorter.
  • If applicable, has the resolution been reduced from the original? In the case of music samples, has the quality been reduced from the original?
  • What purpose does the image serve in the article? If applicable:
    • Is the image a logo, photograph, or box art for the main subject of the article?
    • Is the image being used as the primary means of visual identification of the subject or topic? (e.g., a corporate logo or the box art of a DVD)
    • Does it illustrate the topic of the article? (e.g., a screen shot from a movie)
    • Is it used for commentary on a particular topic? How?
  • To what degree is the image replaceable by a free content image?
    • If the image is a screenshot of a movie that for an article about the movie, or a corporate logo, there is obviously no such thing as a "free" version of it - all of the resources in the world could not produce one. If, on the other hand, the image is a photograph, the image is more easily replaced, even if Wikipedians may lack the resources to create a replacement.
  • Any other information necessary to assist others in determining whether the use of this image qualifies for fair use.

Template

The template {{Non-free use rationale}} facilitates creating a use rationale with the necessary components.

{{Non-free use rationale
| Description       = 
| Source            = 
| Article           = 
| Portion           = 
| Low_resolution    = 
| Purpose           = 
| Replaceability    = 
| other_information = 
}}

other_information is optional and can be left out.

There are more specific use rationale templates in Category:Non-free use rationale templates, such as for album covers and logos.

Non-template

Below are some basic examples. Good use rationales might expand on why the non-free item is needed, why a free item cannot be used in its place, and what essential function it performs in each article in which it is to be used. If the image is used in several articles, then you must include a separate use rationale for each article. If the article text comments on the image itself, then write so because that strengthens the fair use claim. Each rationale must explicitly name the article to which the rationale applies.

These are examples only. Do not simply copy them.

Logo in the article about the topic that the logo represents

=== Fair use in [[ARTICLE NAME]] ===
Though this image is subject to copyright, its use is covered by the U.S. fair use laws, and the stricter requirements of Wikipedia's non-free content policies, because:
# It illustrates an educational article about the entity that the logo represents.
# The image is used as the primary means of visual identification of the article topic.
# It is a low resolution image, and thus not suitable for production of counterfeit goods.
# The logo is not used in such a way that a reader would be confused into believing that the article is written or authorized by the owner of the logo.
# It is not replaceable with an uncopyrighted or freely copyrighted image of comparable educational value.
  • Other text indicating conformance with the Wikipedia:Logos guideline may be added, such as confirmation that the logo has been rendered at a small size and with lower detail if it is a scalable vector image.

Historical photographs

=== Fair use for [[ARTICLE NAME]] ===
Though this image is subject to copyright, its use is covered by the U.S. fair use laws, and the stricter requirements of Wikipedia's non-free content policies, because:
# It is a historically significant photo of a famous individual. [To strengthen the claim, consider adding sources to back up 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 the photo and its historical significance are the object of discussion in the article.

Again, the above are only general examples; for more information on what needs to be included in this entry see Wikipedia:Non-free content. 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 use rationale to others that you may have a valid justification for including fair use materials that can be used under the GFDL.


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?

Relevant links (internal)

Example:

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.

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.)

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.