Getting Started
This research guide provides resources about what to consider when looking for, thinking critically about, and using images for research and educational purposes. This includes information on:
- the difference between image full text and image index databases
- finding and using Open Access image websites
- citing images using a specific citation style
- Copyright and Creative Commons permissions or attributions
Note: The use of digital images is often subject to copyright and/or licensing restrictions. Consult each site's information on rights and reproductions, especially if you plan to use an image in a publication. For guidance on how to cite images in a research paper, see the How to Cite section of this guide.
Key Image Resources
Listed below are few image resources. See the Databases section of this guide for more image collections in Art-related and multidisciplinary databases.
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Artstor on JSTORA digital image library for the arts and sciences with an unparalleled range of images licensed for educational use at UBC.
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JSTOR CollectionIn addition to fully-searchable journal backfiles, also includes current issues for some titles as well as collections of primary-source documents such as their '19th century British pamphlets'.
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ArchivisionArchivision is a database of over 80,000 high quality, professionally photographed images of architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, archaeology, and design searchable within the MDID platform.
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Oxford Art OnlineOxford Art Online is the access point for Grove Art Online, the Benezit Dictionary of Artists, the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and the Oxford Companion to Western Art.
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UBC Library Open CollectionsUBC Library's Open Collections include digital photos, books, newspapers, maps, videos, theses and more. These publicly-accessible collections are constantly growing and reflect the research interests of the UBC community and beyond.
Search Tips
Searching Artstor: An Introduction
For help with finding, viewing, and downloading images using the database Artstor, watch the video below.
Using Google Image Search
For help with verifying, tracking, or finding information about an image on Google (including reverse image searches).
Image Slideshows on Bing
For help with making Bing's image search results play like a slideshow (save yourself from having to scroll through pages of crowded images).
