Visual literacy: using images effectively and ethically

Using images in your studies

Images online can often be downloaded for free, although this does not mean that they are legally free to use or in the public domain.

As students or staff of an educational institution, we are legally allowed to use images if we follow the concept of ‘fair dealing’. You can include an image in your assignment if it relates to your discussion and is of a lower quality than the original. You should include an image credit acknowledging the copyright holder and, if relevant, details of the copyright licence. Below is an example:

An image of an Ikea paint brush lying flat on a surface with a mixture of red and yellow paint on its bristles and the surface.
"Ikea paint brush" by Terence J Sullivan is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The licence for the above image instructs:

  • Credit the creator
  • Non-commercial uses only
  • No derivatives or adaptations permitted

The image was found via Openverse (formerly CC Search), a search engine for copyright cleared images.

Image reference in Harvard referencing style: Sullivan, T. J. (2006) Ikea paint brush. Available at: https://flic.kr/p/4YRD2H (Accessed: 7 March 2022).

‘Inspiration’ versus ‘copying’

Your ideas are not protected by copyright, only the expression of that idea, in other words the actual recorded work. Others' ideas can act as inspiration although it is important not to copy their work and to use your own creativity to develop something original. An adapted or ‘derived work’ is still legally classed as the original creator’s work. In the UK, copyright expires seventy years after an author dies and so, for example, Holbein’s paintings can be re-used to create new work. Using another’s copyrighted work for caricature, parody or pastiche is allowed if it is not derogatory.

Points to remember:

  • The expression of an idea not the idea itself is protected by copyright
  • When drawing inspiration from others' work, you need to use your own skills, judgement, labour and effort to create something original
  • Revisit your work. Have you copied a ‘substantial’ amount of another’s work?

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