University of Minnesota
Imaging Center
Rooms 23-35 Snyder Hall
1475 Gortner Avenue.
University of Minnesota,
St. Paul, MN 55108
Hours: 9:00-5:00 weekdays
Closed holidays
Home > IC Policy on the Manipulation of Digital Images
Imaging Center Policy on the Manipulation of Digital Images
The issue of the manipulation of digital images has come to the forefront recently due to several publicized cases. The Microscopy Society of America has issued a policy on this issue (see Reference #2 below). We in the Imaging Center have considered the issue in depth and how it may impact our clients. Based upon these considerations, we have adopted a modified statement from the Journal of Cell Biology as the Imaging Center Policy on the Manipulation of Digital Images:
"No specific feature within an image may be enhanced, obscured, moved, removed, or introduced. The grouping of images from different fields of view wor exposures must be made explicit by the arrangement of the figure (e.g., using dividing lines) and in the text of the figure legend. Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable if they are applied to the whole image (and to corresponding control images as well), as long as they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original. All adjustments, especially Nonlinear adjustments, (e.g., changes to gamma settings) must be disclosed in the figure legend or materials and methods."
It is our policy in the Imaging Center to encourage clients to optimize their cell/tissue processing and image capture parameters intitially so that post-image capture manipulation becomes unnecessary. It is also good policy to relate any image manipulation performed in the figure legend, even if deemed to be minor. However, remember that the "raw" image must be maintained and saved, so that any manipulations are done to a "copy" of the image. Journals may request to see the original raw, unaltered image (see #7 below).
A good discussion describing issues related to digital image manipulations can be found in the following references.
Return to:
U of M Home
