Find Media
Whether you’re working on an assignment or a personal project, there are images, audio, video, and tools that you can use for free as long as you attribute the source in your work. Check out each tab to find out how to find and use each type of media.
Make sure you also look at the Creative Commons and Citing box for information about one of the most common licensing systems that creators use to make assets free to use. These licences will let you know what you can and can’t do with an asset.
Creative Commons and Citing
What is Creative Commons?
In Canada, all creative works, including graphics and music, are protected by copyright law. Copyright determines how a creator’s work can be used, and copyright protection is automatic, even if you don’t see a copyright symbol or notice.
Creative Commons licenses are an easy way for creators to share their work while retaining copyright over it. These licenses may allow for the sharing or modification of original works without the need to contact copyright owners, and are intended to give creators more freedom over how their work is used.
There are six main Creative Commons licenses as well as the Creative Cloud Public Domain Dedication. Each license grants users permission to use works in specific ways.
When choosing media, you will need to decide what you want to do with it so that you can find resources under the appropriate licences. You will also need to decide on the best licence for you if you decide to publish your own work; think about why you want to share your work, and how you hope others will use that work.
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CC BY: allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.
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CC BY-SA: allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.
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CC BY-NC: allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
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CC BY-NC: allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
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CC BY-NC-SA: allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.
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CC BY-ND: allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.
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CC BY-ND-NC: This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication
CC0(aka CC Zero) is a public dedication tool, which allows creators to give up their copyright and put their works into the worldwide public domain. CC0 allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, with no conditions.
The short answer is yes.
You may see Creative Commons works marked as being in the public domain or stating that they are no rights reserved (CC0). It is still recommended that you credit these creators. If you use these resources in an academic assignment, presenting the work of others as if it is your own may be considered plagiarism. Crediting all works you use, including Creative Commons licensed works, clearly shows which parts of a project are your own original content and what came from other sources.
Explore the tabs in the Using Free Media box. Most of the media found on the websites in these lists is available under CC licenses.
A good attribution for a CC-licensed work will include the author, the title of the work, the source, and the license type, along with links. For examples please see CC Wiki’s Best Practices for Attribution.
Best Practices for Citing Sources in a Digital Assignment
Whenever possible include attribution or citation information directly underneath an image. If that’s not possible, you can usually list this information at the end of your work. Always confirm your professor’s citation expectations if you are using media in assignments. If you need to cite using APA or MLA, check out the tab on Citing.
General Recommendations
Here are some guidelines to help you attribute the media you use:
- Include the creator (omit if not available) and a hyperlink to where you found the image underneath the image.
- If it looks too cluttered to have this information directly underneath the image, then provide it in one central place with all other image credits and include a title or short description so it is clear which image you are crediting.
- For images with a Creative Commons license, see the “Attributing Sources” section of the Creative Commons page or the Wiki for best practices in attributing Creative Commons Sources for instructions on providing an image credit.
- If an image website gives you the attribution note, you may copy and use their recommended attribution.
Citing Sources in Digital Assignments
If you use media in digital assignments, you may need to cite your media instead of merely attributing it. Digital assignments can be any assignment that you create that is not a research paper. Examples of digital assignments are websites, infographics, videos, and PowerPoint presentations.
Do I have to use APA, MLA, or IEEE to cite my sources in digital assignments?
The APA and MLA publication manuals contain guidelines for citing your sources in research essays, not digital assignments. Digital assignments don't require the use of standard APA, MLA, or IEEE format.
Unless your instructor specifically tells you that you must use formal APA, MLA, or IEEE citation style when citing sources in your digital assignments, then you may choose to attribute your sources by following the recommendations in the Attributing tab. Always confirm assignment expectations with your instructor first.
For guidance and resources for citing your sources using APA and other citation styles, visit the citation guide or attend a citation workshop:
- Citing and Referencing SourcesA collection of guides, videos, and tools to help you correctly cite your sources in APA, MLA, IEEE, and other styles.
- Research and Writing WorkshopsWorkshops on avoiding plagiarism, citing your sources, finding information, and more.
Credit
This page was adapted from Find Media, created by The Learning Portal, and is used under a CC BY-NC license.
