Images Into Action: FAQs

What am I committing to when I submit?

You allow the research team to securely store your images and consider them for analysis and inclusion in research outputs. We won’t publish your name or identifying details unless you explicitly agree later.

What can I submit?

Up to 8 photos (JPG, JPEG, HEIC, PNG, or PDF scans). No videos. Ensure you created the images or have permission to use them and avoid images with people that can be easily identified unless you have their consent.

How might my photos be used?

Anonymized research reports, academic presentations, course materials, and a public visual story deck about climate action.

Do minors (those under 18 years of age) need consent?

Yes. If you’re under 18, a parent/guardian must provide consent. The submission form will prompt for it automatically and parents will be notified via email of the submission. (See Parent/Guardian consent)

Can I withdraw my photos?

Yes. You can request withdrawal through email to the lead researcher; or if you are under 18, your parent/guardian can also withdraw consent before analysis is complete; after that, full removal may not be feasible as it will be part of the dissertation documentation. See the Consent section for additional details.

My photo was taken in a public place and contains people.

Public Place Photos: Photos taken in public may sometimes include people in the background. If individuals in the image are not the focus, such as a parade or community event, the image may still be used.

For example, If the image is of a public setting where people happen to be present, such as an image of a city street with pedestrians, or a public park with people walking dogs, those would not require consent from those individuals using that public place.

Note: As part of the image review process, if consent is needed, we will reach out to the sender, edit the image (for example, by blurring faces), or exclude it from the dataset.

Will faces be shown?

We will only use images of people when we have their explicit, informed consent. We prefer images without readily identifiable people because we value individual privacy. It’s considered “personal information”, and people have the right to decide whether they are comfortable having their image included in a research project or shared publicly.

Informed consent means that anyone who is clearly identifiable or recognizable in a photo understands how the image will be used and agrees to its use voluntarily. That person must give permission before the image can be used in the research. We value individual privacy and people have the right to decide whether they are comfortable having their image included in public facing materials like presentations or a research publication.

What is “identifiable” or “recognizable”?

A person is identifiable or recognizable if their face or other features make it reasonably possible for someone to know who they are. This could include clear facial details, name tags, or other unique characteristics.

Note: As part of the image review process, if consent is needed, we will reach out to the sender, edit the image (for example, by blurring faces), or exclude it from the dataset.

What is the Youth Research Advisory Group?

The Youth Research Advisory Group is a team of volunteers aged 15 to 25 who help guide the direction of the Images Into Action project. As research partners, they collaborate on identifying key climate topics, reviewing and interpreting images, and shaping the visual stories that are developed. Their role is to ensure the project reflects youth perspectives, priorities, and lived experiences.