Documenting Project Resources

When you collect image, video, and audio resources for your projects, you need to document their characteristics. These should be stored in a word processing or spreadsheet document in the Documentation folder of your project. You may be graded on your documentation.

For example, see this Google Sheets spreadsheet of an image collection. You can copy this file to your own Google account by choosing “Make a Copy” under the “File” menu. Then you can erase the existing rows and use the spreadsheet yourself. (If you need training on Google Sheets, read Google Sheets 101 by Zapier.)

For every resource you use, you should fill out a complete row in the table with the following information:

  • Project: which project(s) or assignments in which you are using this resource.
  • Creator/Collector: the photographer, artist, collector, or producer of the work.
  • Title: the creator’s title of the work, if any.
  • Date: date (or date range) the work was produced.
  • Original medium: photograph, photomontage, painting, digital drawing, illustration, video, soundtrack, poster, etc.
  • Original dimensions: if available, record in most appropriate units, including timespan for time-based work such as videos.
  • License: is it public domain? royalty-free? rights managed? one of the Creative Commons licenses?
  • Attribution: is a credit line requested or required? If so, what is it?
  • URL where the work is found: the full link to the page hosting the work (not directly to the work file itself).
  • Filename: what is the name of the original file in your Original Files folder? Include the file type suffix (e.g. “.jpg” or “.mov”). Tip: always save a copy of the original.

Do your best to determine this information. You may have to do some research or click on more information about images to get this data. Don’t assume it will just be handed to you at a glance.

When any information is unknown or is not applicable, write “unknown” or “n/a” in that table cell. Don’t just leave it blank.

When you use a photo or video that you made personally, you still need to include it in your documentation, and you have to determine what your own licensing is. Is it public domain? That means others can use it freely if they find it. Is it rights managed? Then only you can use it.

If you have any questions, ask your instructor.