Image documentation

The image documentation deals with the collection and processing of image material. It is therefore subordinate to the documentation which, according to Paul Otlet's general definition, deals with the “collection, organization and utilization of documents of all kinds”.

The aim of image documentation is to make still images (photos, slides, paintings, posters, graphics, engravings, sketches, etc.) as well as moving images (videos, films, etc.) specifically searchable and findable. Image indexing is mainly carried out by libraries, museums, archives, documentation centers, image agencies, press publishers or companies.

Image development

The indexing of an image comprises three sub-areas in documentation science: the acquisition of formal data (see formal indexing ), of image content and of factual information (see subject indexing ). The information is stored manually or electronically. In order to specify the three sub-areas of image development, the documentation is carried out using an example image:

Example of image documentation
Section	description	Expression	Remarks
Formal data	Information on the format and appearance of the image material	Raw data (e.g. image ID: 183-M1101-0308, resolution: 800 × 449 pixels, file size: 42 KB, MIME type: image / jpeg) and metadata (type: photography (black and white), date of photo: November 6, 1973, source: Deutsches Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive), author: Raphael (verehel. Grubitzsch), Waltraud)	When collecting the raw data, it must be ensured that the data can relate on the one hand to the original (e.g. the photo itself), but on the other hand also to the digital copy. Data standards can also be used to enter metadata.
Image content	Information about what exactly can be seen in the picture	A patient's leg is examined and treated by doctors in a hospital visit.	The degree of accuracy is variable in the development of the image content and the information can go into different levels of detail. In addition, formulated sentences as well as simple keyword lists can be used.
Factual information	also: content acquisition. Researched background information about the image can also be provided here so that the context of the content of the image becomes clear.	Leipzig, St. Georg Hospital, patient from Bangladesh [...] Abdul Kader from the People's Republic of Bangladesh is cared for by doctors and nurses in the St. Georg Hospital in Leipzig. He has been in this hospital for several weeks with a leg injury and will return to his homeland after his recovery. Our photo shows Dr. Holm Neumann (left) during a visit. […] [Historical original description]

When tapping moving images, the data is recorded in sequence.

Principles

General and specific (or "generic and specific")

The differentiation as to whether information is general or specific is comparable to the distinction between image content and factual content: A general statement only describes what can generally be seen in the image (e.g. a doctor, a bridge or a building, more precisely a cathedral). It is a description of the visible that is relatively objective. Specific information for a general description would individualize the terminology, analyze it (e.g. Dr. Holm Neumann, the Elbbrücken in Hamburg or St. Paul's Cathedral in London).

Of and about (or "of and about")

A picture has been taken of a specific object or person, e.g. B. to a doctor in general or specifically to Dr. Holm Neumann. Still, the image also conveys emotions and can be about abstract concepts. These interpreted aspects, such as B. pain or hospital stay, can be included in the image indexing, but are to be assessed as highly subjective and strongly dependent on the respective feelings and assessments of the respective documentary .

target group

The target group of an image collection is also decisive for the type of images to be documented and the type of documentation. The selection of images and the language of the documentation can be adapted to the needs of the target group - it can be a special image archive for experts in a field of knowledge or a collection of images for the general public, for laypeople.

Standards

Aids and tools for image documentation can be thesauri , authority files , classification systems or sets of rules . They offer the possibility to standardize the recording of the material. By using controlled vocabulary and adhering to recording standards, the documentation and the research of the material are more consistent than when using free vocabulary. Known standards in image capture are e.g. B. Dublin Core (DC), the IPTC-IIM standard for photo metadata, the classification concept Iconclass , the Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) or the Thesaurus for Graphic Materials (TGM).

Problems

The problem with indexing images - especially in comparison to indexing texts - is the unavoidable subjectivity of the data recorded by the documentary . The decision to include content based on its relevance in an image or the analysis and interpretation of what is visible can vary greatly from person to person. Aids such as authority files, thesauri, classification systems and sets of rules cannot be used universally for the indexing of all collections and often have to be developed individually.

Individual evidence

↑ Otto Dudle: Documentation, Research, Information. From a personal archive to an electronic database. A practical guide for researching in libraries, archives, documentation centers and databases. 1991, Verl. Sauerländer, ISBN 3-7941-3328-5 , p. 14.

↑ Visual Resources Association (Ed.): Advocating for Visual Resources Management in Educational and Cultural Institutions . Status: 10/2009 Advocating for Visual Resources Management ( Memento of the original from February 10, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . @1@ 2

↑ Otto Dudle: Documentation, Research, Information. From a personal archive to an electronic database. A practical guide for researching in libraries, archives, documentation centers and databases. 1991, Verl. Sauerländer, ISBN 3-7941-3328-5 , p. 15.

^ Deutsches Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive), author: Raphael (verehel. Grubitzsch), Waltraud, date: November 6, 1973; Signature 183-M1101-0308 http://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/archives/barchpic/search/_1326623626/ .

^ Sara Shatford: Analyzing the subject of a picture. A theoretical approach . In: Cataloging & Classification Quarterly , 6 (1986), No. 3, pp. 39-62, summarized in: Carol Hixson (Head, Catalog Department University of Oregon Libraries): Analyzing the Subject of a Picture. Guidelines ( memento of June 26, 2011 in the Internet Archive ). 06/2003

↑ Heike Lebrecht: Methods and problems of image development . 07/2004, Cologne University of Applied Sciences, ISSN 1434-1115 http://www.fbi.fh-koeln.de/institut/papers/kabi/volltexte/band042.pdf , p. 37.

literature

Winfried Gödert: Creating and opening up a database for images . In: Information Discovery and Automatic Indexing . Springer, Berlin 2012, ISBN 978-3-642-23512-2 , pp. 13-101

Web links

[1] Otto Dudle: Documentation, Research, Information. From a personal archive to an electronic database. A practical guide for researching in libraries, archives, documentation centers and databases. 1991, Verl. Sauerländer, ISBN 3-7941-3328-5 , p. 14.

[2] Otto Dudle: Documentation, Research, Information. From a personal archive to an electronic database. A practical guide for researching in libraries, archives, documentation centers and databases. 1991, Verl. Sauerländer, ISBN 3-7941-3328-5 , p. 14.