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Visual Resources

Using a video or image in your research? This guide will assist you in searching for and evaluating visual resources.

Stop, Collaborate, & Listen

So, you did a Google search and found that PERFECT image/video.

Now you have to EVALUATE that item's:

  1. ACCURACY
  2. VALIDITY
  3. WORTH

Here are some methods to assist you.

Google Image Search

Upload, drag, or copy and paste a URL to see where else an image appears on the internet.

Google Image Search

YouTube DataViewer

This search engine does the same thing but with videos and any associated thumbnails taken from a video.  It is important to look out for "scrapes": old videos that are re-uploaded.  YouTube doesn't make this information accessible from their website.

NOW WHAT?  Well, what information did you find?  The creator? The site of original appearance?  A different version of the image or video?   

DON'T use a video or image if:

  1. Your research leads you to discover the video or image was modified 
  2. You can't find enough information to create a proper citation
  3. The creator or source of video or image is NOT affiliated with a mid-level or highly authoritative organization such as:
    • a university
    • an academic/scholarly database
    • a newspaper or other journalism source
    • a well-edited wiki site that has a reference section

 

For more strategies, check out this article:

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