h4. Providing sources

In general, unless an image is [[homegrown]], a source must be provided. Ideally, this information should refer to the place where the image was originally published. This means, for instance, that if you're uploading from an imageboard, you should enter the source URL provided there if one is available, not just the imageboard's image URL.

If an image has obviously been created from an unedited screen capture or scan, an explicit source is optional, so long as the copyright and one of [[screencap]] or [[scan]] are properly tagged. However, if you can give a more specific description of the source that includes an episode or volume number, that is preferred; for example, "[i][[Puella Magi Madoka Magica]][/i] episode 3" for an [[animated GIF]] created from stills, or "[i]Gelatin[/i] magazine, spring 2010, page 33" for a print scan. Do [i]not[/i] give URLs as sources for these kinds of images.

If you're having trouble locating an image's origin, links to "IQDB":http://iqdb.org/ and "Google Search by Image":http://images.google.com/searchbyimage are provided for your convenience; upload the image, and then look at the bottom of the post sidebar.

Note that links to pages describing the work in question are preferred to direct image links. Uploads from pixiv are the sole exception to this rule; Danbooru has "special handling for these":http://danbooru.donmai.us/wiki/show?title=howto%3Apixiv, so you should enter the direct URL to the full image into the source box, like this:

[quote]http://img06.pixiv.net/img/vofan/5181286.jpg[/quote]

If you cannot find a reasonable source, you can use the [[source_request]] tag as a last resort. Do not simply tag an image as needing a source without having attempted to find one yourself.

h4. Tagging and organization

Danbooru-style imageboards are distinguished from 2ch-esque ones by the tagging system, which allows uploads to be organized by their contents and metadata. Note the word [i]allows[/i]: In order for the system to work as intended, users must provide the appropriate tags for their images. At minimum, the following three types of tags must be accounted for:

* [b]Artist.[/b] Credit should be given where credit is due. Not only does proper attribution give the creator some recognition, it lets people who find an image interesting hunt down more from the same author. Win-win. You can create an artist tag by prefixing "artist:" to the tag name.
** Artist tags refer solely to [i]the individual or individuals directly responsible for creating the actual work[/i]. Studios and other companies such as [[type-moon]] should be tagged as copyrights, not as artists. See below.

* [b]Copyright.[/b] Use these tags to indicate "brands" associated with the image: series, studios, companies, and so forth. If an image is not clearly based on any established works, use the [[original_character]] tag. You can create a copyright tag by prefixing "copy:" or "copyright:" to the tag name.
** Do not use copyright tags to indicate the title of a work. You can provide it in the comments instead, along with any [[commentary]] from the original artist.

* [b]Character.[/b] This is only necessary for works that have not already been tagged with [[original_character]]. You can create a character tag by prefixing "char:" or "character:" to the tag name.

Note that [i]tag prefixes are not part of the actual tag name[/i]; they're just a convenient shortcut for assigning a new tag a certain type. Additionally, if a tag already exists and has been assigned a type, it is not necessary to use a prefix to specify the tag type when tagging subsequent images.

General tags should describe objective qualities of an image, such as whether it's a [[sketch]] or contains a [[sword]]. Search for and use existing tags if possible. Subjective tags are frowned upon; you should use an image's comments to leave remarks instead, or create a pool. Pools should also be used for informal collections of images with a common theme (pool #6) or a series of posts with an internal order, such as an artbook or multi-page comic (pool #3, pool #4).

h4. Image ratings

Sexual content should be indicated using one of the three image ratings. "Safe" should generally be reserved for images that could be reasonably viewed in public. Many approvers dislike explicit images, so use caution when uploading something that could be considered such.