Source images
Files without processing or compression, together with the storage medium where possible. Do not replace an original with a screenshot.
Information about the history
Specify the source, copying dates, forwarding through messaging apps and previous transformations.
Documents
Questions, case materials and previous reports — to the extent necessary and provided you have the right to submit them.
Submission
The form accepts up to ten files of 10 MB each. Large source files, RAW files and storage media are submitted separately by agreement.
Terms for submitting materials
Image inventory and history of the copies received
If a photograph exists in several versions, submit them separately and explain the provenance of each. A file from a camera, a cloud export, an email attachment and an image from a messaging app may look identical while retaining different amounts of technical data. Do not select the “highest-quality” copy in place of all available versions without explaining that selection.
What to specify alongside each file
- The original name and a brief identifier in the inventory.
- Where and when the file was obtained, and who supplied it.
- Which actions are known: forwarding, cropping, rotation, export, correction or printing.
- Whether other images from the same series, the device or the storage medium are available.
- Which part of the image relates to the question posed.
Original files are stored separately from prepared explanations and processed versions. If an enlargement or selected fragment is made for convenience, that file is labelled as a derivative rather than used to replace the submitted source file. A checksum allows the received bytes to be compared with the saved copy, but does not in itself establish the creator, the actual capture date or the file's history before receipt.
If the initial file is unavailable, state which copy has survived and what is known about its transmission history. A preliminary assessment will help determine which questions can be answered from that particular material. A missing source file cannot be replaced by an assumption about how the image looked before forwarding.