Kirsten Miles
P.I. Outcomes
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Best Practices in managing Image Data:
Discuss image data issues with your P.I. early on to
establish procedures
Preserve the original for future access
Record/document all changes to image, be able to
replicate your actions
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Including the steps used to prepare image for
publication has not been standardized yet,
and therefore there are few instructions for
doing so.
The following slides demonstrate strategies
for automating the task in three heavily
used software packages, in order to reduce
the time factor of preparing and including
this information.
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An Audit Trail can be enabled to track each step in a
manipulation process, in Adobe Photoshop, ImageJ,
and in ImagePro.
It must be enabled in each of the software packages in
order to record replicable steps used to process images
prior to publication.
Enabling the audit trail provides the most exact record
of image manipulations, to maintain the integrity of
image data for the scientific record.
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The Edit History Log can be enabled to track each step in
a manipulation process, in Photoshop.

It must be enabled in the General Panel of Photoshop
Preferences
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To read the history log for an image that is open and
active, or from the File menu in Bridge when the image is
selected, choose:
>File > File Info > History
>File > File Info > Advanced*
*If detailed was not selected when the image was created, limited information can be gained here
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To enable the history file;
Edit>Preferences>General Panel>History Log
Choose: Metadata> detailed
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The Audit Trail Log can track each step in a
manipulation process, in ImagePro.
It must be enabled in the Preferences Panel
of the ImagePro Edit drop down menu.
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To enable the audit trail log;
Edit>Preferences>
Select: Generate audit trail log
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ImageJ is a public domain image processing
program developed at the National Institutes of
Health, designed with an open architecture.
Metadata has to be created using the macro to
“Record”, which records all activity , and cut
and pasted into a text file for a session log.
Instruction are at this link and in the notes of
this slide.
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The researcher, in order to answer any
questions about image data.
The journal, depending on the author’s
instructions
The reader, and potential future researcher,
in order to be able to build on the shoulders
of your research.
Data sharing means the potential to
repurpose data is real, and accuracy
important.
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1. Examples of journal guidelines
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Rockefeller University Press (Journal of Cell Biology & 3
other journals) http://jcb.rupress.org/misc/ifora.shtml
> scroll to Image Manipulation
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Nature journals (34 journals)
http://www.nature.com/authors/editorial_policies/image.html
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Web resource:
http://mend.endojournals.org/misc/itoa.shtml#digital
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2. Professional guidelines
 Council of Science Editors, CSE’s White Paper
on Promoting Integrity in Science Journal
Publications — see “3.4 Digital Images and
Misconduct”
http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/editorial_policies/w
hitepaper/3-4_digital.cfm

Office of Research Integrity http://ori.dhhs.gov/
 Guidelines for data management
http://ori.dhhs.gov/education/products/RCRintro/c06/0c6.html
 tools for examining images and other digital data (see
“Forensic tools”) http://ori.dhhs.gov/tools/ > “Forensic Tools” in
left menu on home page
 guidelines for conducting inquiries
http://ori.dhhs.gov/misconduct/ > “Handling Misconduct” in left
menu on home page
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Inform yourself thoroughly about the image
data guidelines of your:
 Journal, institution, lab, and adviser
 Follow proactive guidelines even if your journal
doesn’t expect them yet!
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The onus is on you to know the boundaries in
your field, institution, and publication venues.
Be prepared to respond to a wider scrutiny.
Please contact us with any questions,
comments, or requests for training, webinars,
or presentations:
Kirsten D. Miles
P.I. Outcomes
kdm3d@virginia.edu / 434-960-5193
http://scienceimageintegrity.org/
Addeane S. Caelleigh
UVA School of Medicine
asc8f@virginia.edu/ 434-982-6571
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