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University Library STEM Wikipedia Edit-a-thons

IGB Fall 2023 Wikipedia Edit-a-thon!

Science Specific Image Collections

Below are quick links to public domain or creative commons image content for ease of searching! If you need more options please see the library Guide on Finding Images and Video, but be aware that that guide includes a lot of content subject to copyright and may not be suitable for a Wikipedia entry; please ask librarians if you have questions.

Interdisciplinary Image Collections with Public Domain or Creative Commons Licenses

Below are quick links to public domain or creative commons image content for ease of searching! If you need more options please see the library Guide on Finding Images and Video, but be aware that that guide includes a lot of content subject to copyright and may not be suitable for a Wikipedia entry; please ask librarians if you have questions.

Using Images

What images can I use?

As Wikipedia aims to be a free resource they have a very strict Image Use Policy. It is easiest to use images that are:

  • Your own work: You own all rights to the image, usually meaning that you created it entirely yourself.
  • Freely licensed: You can prove that the copyright holder has released the image under an acceptable free license. Note that images that are licensed for use only on Wikipedia, or only for non-commercial or educational use, or under a license that doesn't allow for the creation of modified/derived works, are unsuitable. Important note: just because you did not have to pay money for the image does not mean that it is "free content" or acceptable for use on Wikipedia. The vast majority of images on the internet are copyrighted and cannot be used here – even if there is not a copyright notice, it is automatically copyrighted from the moment of creation. When in doubt, do not upload copyrighted images.
  • Public domain: You can prove that the image is in the public domain, i.e. free of all copyrights.

Attribution

When you use a photo you always provide "attribution", this is so others can find the photo and know who created the image as well. Here is information on how to provide correct Attribution: https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Recommended_practices_for_attribution.

If you'd like to schedule a consultation, please contact Sarah Christensen, Visual Resources and Outreach Specialist, at schrstn@illinois.edu