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Integrity of Science Image DataIssues and emerging standards

Kirsten MilesP.I. Outcomes

Image Data Manipulation

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

Including That Extra Step 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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The Audit Trail – a powerful tool:

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 Audit Trail in Adobe Photoshop

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

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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Adobe Edit History Log

To enable the history file;

Edit>Preferences>General Panel>History Log

Choose: Metadata> detailed

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EHL examples

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The Audit Trail in ImagePro

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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Adobe Edit History Log

To enable the audit trail log;

Edit>Preferences>

Select: Generate audit trail log

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Audit Trail Log examples

The Audit Trail in ImageJ

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. 11

Who needs this information?The researcher, in order to answer

any questions about image data.The journal, depending on the

author’s instructionsThe 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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What about author guidelines?

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Print and online aids

1. Examples of journal guidelines Rockefeller University Press (Journal of Cell

Biology & 3 other journals) http://jcb.rupress.org/misc/ifora.shtml > scroll to Image Manipulation

Nature journals (34 journals) http://www.nature.com/authors/editorial_policies/image.html

Web resource: http://mend.endojournals.org/misc/itoa.shtml#digital 14

2. Professional guidelinesCouncil 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/whitepaper/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

Final Words 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!The onus is on you to know the

boundaries in your field, institution, and publication venues.

Be prepared to respond to a wider scrutiny.

Contact information

Please contact us with any questions, comments, or requests for training, webinars, or presentations:

Kirsten D. Miles P.I. Outcomeskdm3d@virginia.edu / 434-960-5193http://scienceimageintegrity.org/Addeane S. CaelleighUVA School of Medicineasc8f@virginia.edu/ 434-982-6571

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