Simultaneously integrate visual media research with larger research objectives, as the visual research can inform and guide the topical research and vice versa.

University of Colorado at Boulder

- Look within and without a discipline
- Adapt to copyright and use conditions
- Form a search strategy
- Integrate new terms and adapt search
- Explore related images
- Join visual and topical research process
- Assess your collection and adapt
- Use tools and methods necessary to acquire and use visual media
- Organize collected visual media


How to Find and Access Visual Media

"ACRL Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education", American Library Association, October 27, 2011. http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/visualliteracy (Accessed July 13, 2021).

ACRL Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

Consider suitable visual media sources from within the intended discipline as well as across different areas of study.

Finding and Accessing Visual Media: Look Within and Without a Discipline

Acknowledge visual media rights and use constraints and adapt your search accordingly. Respect copyrights, creative commons licensing, and other use or attribution licensing and labeling. Tailor your search or adapt your strategy according to availability of needed visual media.

Finding and Accessing Visual Media: Adapt to Copyright and Use Conditions

Create and adapt a search strategy according to your previously defined needs, what you have learned about available sources across or within disciplines, and what you have learned about the rights and use context of your visual media interest. Develop targeted search terms and adapt to controlled vocabularies.

Finding and Accessing Visual Media: Form a Search Strategy

Use metadata (creators, tags, captions, descriptions, repositories) to aid search and adapt to different organizational methods. Integrate relevant terms or information you have encountered to further focus your search. Some repositories may allow you to search according to a creator’s name, the medium used in physical artwork, the dimensions of a piece, subject tags, or the period.

Finding and Accessing Visual Media: Integrate New Terms and Adapt Search

Consider searching or browsing through related images via links or tags, or by using search engines designed for images.

Finding and Accessing Visual Media: Explore Related Images

Finding and Accessing Visual Media: Join Visual and Topical Research Process

Reevaluate and adapt your search according to the suitability of your collected material.  Do your collected visual media materials fit your needs and contexts? Do you have enough materials? Consider aspects that may be missing and make changes to your search strategy if needed.

Finding and Accessing Visual Media: Assess Your Collection and Adapt

Use applicable technology, and physical visits if needed, to access or reproduce visual media. This may include downloading material, copying, saving in different formats, using a camera, or scanning with a device or application.  

Finding and Accessing Visual Media: Use Tools and Methods Necessary to Acquire and Use Visual Media

Organize collected visual media along with any associated metadata or other collected information for future use and citation.  

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