How to credit your sources
Klatu verata *cough cough cough*
One time a fella named Ash in this one movie, Army of Darkness, just needed to say a few words from a book in the right order and he’d save humanity. He wasn’t paying attention, so he fudged it a little. It turned out to be kind of a mess, and there was more sucker-punching than you’d think. Also, his arm was a gun. In the end, he learned the value of proper citation and I’m pretty sure that was your takeaway too.
It’s scary to think that you might accidentally infringe on copyright, and maybe that’s what’s keeping you from publishing your own digital narratives.
Likewise, if it’s never been a concern for you, it should be! Just because you tooted in an elevator and no one said anything, doesn’t mean you got away with it. It stinks for everyone, even you, and in this situation, you’re probably happier to give someone else the credit.
See? Crediting people isn’t that hard. Let’s go over some ways you can do it.
Crediting Research & Data
You remember the basics from school, but if you don’t – here’s a refresher:
If you describe what a writer has written in your own words but still use a source for the information, you don’t need quotation marks, but you DO need a citation. Make sure your proposals and infographics have proper citations. To be safe, use MLA, APA, or Chicago-style citations. At the very least, add a link to the original research.
If you use the exact language from your source in your infographics, you need to cite your source and put the language in quotes. You can cite your source via citation or footnote.
If you don’t include quotation marks in copied text from your sources or if you don’t properly cite your sources, it’s considered plagiarism and it’s a big deal.
Crediting Photography & Illustration
Credit for illustration or photography must be attributed if that is what the artist asked that you do. You don’t have to credit artists if you purchased the license. If the imagery can be purchased, buy it! If you don’t have any credit instructions, contact the creator.
Buy photography: Just buy it. Istockphoto.com & Shutterstock are on the cheaper end. Gettyimages is on the higher end.
Does free photography exist? YES! Wikimedia Commons and Unsplash both have images that are free to use, depending on the license.
Do free icons exist? Also yes. For example, you have the option to buy Noun project icons and remove the credit, or use them for free as long as you include the credit.
Fonts
You don’t normally credit fonts, you buy them! (Please buy them!) If you have Adobe, you have access to Adobe fonts, an impressive collection of fonts.
Google fonts is free for all. And if neither of these options float your boat, Creative Market is the ultimate hub for upcoming independent designers. Support them so they can keep making fonts!
Where do I put my credits?
At the end, of course. Create a credit section at the end of you video, report, article, or infographic and place your credits there. For photography, place your credit under the caption. Add a link if possible.
Once you’ve covered your bases and licensed or credited all intellectual property, you are good to go. Like our hero Ash in Army of Darkness, all you have to do is say the words.