Writing Science: Best Practices for the Images that Accompany Your Writing

When looking for great images to communicate about science, the Internet is a treasure trove. But, if we are not making or using our own images, it is easy to overstep legal and ethical boundaries. This article is adapted from an image use primer series (Merkle 2017a) which aims to help ecologists enhance science communication efforts while avoiding visual plagiarism. As a note, the author is not a lawyer, and no part of this article or series should be construed as legal advice. This article and the series lay out a few fundamental considerations for using your own images. The bulk of the article discusses best practices for using other people's images that are visual intellectual property protected by copyrights. While considerable emphasis is placed on writing to communicate about science, for those with sight, still and moving images are a crucial element of compelling science communication. In fact, we have known since the 1950s that at least 50% of most audience's neural tissue is keyed into visual stimuli (Sells and Fixott 1957). Whether we are drawing inspiration for a figure, looking for an image to include in a presentation, or developing materials for public engagement, visuals are best treated as an integrated part of our work flow. The best‐case scenario is creating our own images—if we have the skill, equipment, or funding to commission someone else to do so. If we are not using our own images, chances are we turn to the Internet where accessible images are abundant. However, like most tools, how we use the Internet to source images can have serious implications for outreach, reputation, and efficacy. No matter the use, be it presenting during a laboratory meeting, to a public audience, in a classroom, at a conference, or communicating via websites, news agencies, press offices, and social media, using images ethically and legally is an essential part of the science communication process. Understanding the foundational vocabulary that is used to discuss visual intellectual property can be helpful for determining whether an intended use is ethical and legal, or not. In this best‐case scenario, we have all the rights, and we can attribute or not, as we like—although, crediting our own images helps others do so later and models best practices of attributing all images. Ecologist and photographer Jonny Armstrong recommend we “think about images to tell your story earlier in process, don't wait last minute” (Armstrong 2016a). Planning ahead entails, at a minimum, including having everyone in our images sign a photo release, taking photographs