Consider copyright when using images found online. Generally, for academic assignments is using images is considered fair use. Ask your librarian about copyright if you need to use an image in a public location.
Be sure to give credit by including as much information about the image as you can find: title, photographer or artist, date of creation, collection name (if applicable), etc.
Images in the public domain are ones that can be used by anyone for any purpose; no one owns the copyright. Determining whether an item is in the public domain can be challenging though. In general, works published or registered in the United States prior to 1923, along with items produced by the US government, are considered to be in the public domain.
Once you have identified primary sources, it is necessary to read and examine them with a critical eye. It is important to consider both the source itself and the time in which it was created. Remember, too, that sources exist in different formats. Below are some of the questions you may ask about the nature of a source:
What is the source and what is it telling you?
Who is the author or creator?
What biases or assumptions may have influenced the author or creator?
Who was the intended audience?
What was the significance of the source at the time it was created?
Has the source been edited or translated, thus potentially altering the original intent or purpose?
What questions could be answered using this source?
What, if any, are the limitations of the source?
Does your understanding of the source fit with other scholars’ interpretations, or does it challenge their argument?
Consideration of these questions will help you analyze and interpret your sources without overusing and relying on too many direct quotations.
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