Still and Motion Imagery Captioning Quality Check

Checklist 2 min
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Still and motion imagery requires clear and concise captions and accurate metadata to provide an accurate historical record.

Use this checklist to ensure your captions are well-written, informative and useful per the DoD Visual Information Style Guide and DoDI 5040.02.

  • First sentence contains who or what the image is of:

    • Includes service, rank, first and last name, title and military unit for all featured person(s).
    • Lists units from smallest to largest, if applicable.
    • Does not identify people in the background.
    • Provides the equipment name and model, name and ship hull number, or name of aircraft or vehicle and type of object (e.g., aircraft, ship, etc.) if a subject is an object.

  • First sentence contains what action is captured by the image.

  • First sentence contains when the image is taken.

    • Uses month-day, year format (e.g., Aug. 11, 2020).
    • Does not include "on" before the date.
    • Does not include the day of the week.
    • Does not use datelines.
    • Spells out months March through July and abbreviates August through February.
    • Spells out the month, if writing just a month and year with no day (e.g., February 2020).
    • Provides the time image was captured, if pertinent.

  • First sentence contains the geographic location (where) including the name of the base, facility or organization, if applicable.

    • Gives a region or general area if no city is provided.
    • Provides ship name and where it is moored or underway, if applicable.
    • States undisclosed locations in the metadata with an identifiable geographic region (e.g., Southwest Asia or U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility).
    • Does not use "here" or "at sea" in place of location or region.

  • First sentence is written in the present tense and uses an active voice.

  • Subsequent sentences include background information that explains the purpose of the event, exercise or operation depicted in the image (why).

  • Subsequent sentences are generally written in the past tense.

  • Includes significance of the image.

  • Includes definition of all acronyms.

    • Does not use acronyms for terms used only once within the caption.
    • Does not use apostrophes when using a plural acronym.

  • Credits photographer, including the following:

    • Service affiliation.
    • Rank.
    • Full name.
    • Nature of any manipulation.

  • Does not include jargon.

  • Does not include social media symbols.

  • Does not include names of minors without adult permission.

  • Does not include names of U.S. citizens or service members, without written consent.

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