Visual Research is distinct from textual research in that the desired end result of the search is a visual or audiovisual resource instead of a textual one. As image captions and titles vary from person to person and cannot be known as intuitively as a title of a book or article, there are different tactics one must use for effective visual research. Key metadata points to consider when searching for visual items are:
*Subject (keep alternative words in mind for your chosen subject)
*Photographer/Creator
*Origin
*License
*Year or date of publication
Often, you will use these metadata points more vigorously than if you were only searching a textual source.
When you are searching for visual items, audio items will often accompany them. Around half of the repositories below have audio items as well as visual and audiovisual materials. These three types of items are often considered the major alternatives to text and are therefore often grouped together instead of being deal with in their own individual groups. The effects of this are many, but they should not be examined here.