Procedure – Using Media and Citations in Public Pages

This page explains how to use images and references correctly when writing public pages.

It describes:

how to insert illustrations
how to cite sources
how DigitalAssets relate to publication
what must remain internal

These rules ensure:

scholarly quality
traceable sources
legal clarity
clean separation between research and presentation

Core principle

The system separates three layers:

Files → storage (technical)
DigitalAssets → research interpretation and sources
Public pages → presentation and narrative

Public pages must never bypass this structure.

Always work through DigitalAssets.

Part 1 – Using images in public pages

Concept

Files are stored internally.

DigitalAssets describe and interpret files.

Public pages may display selected files as illustrations, but the DigitalAsset remains the authoritative research record.

Flow:

File → DigitalAsset → (selected) → Public page illustration

Step-by-step workflow

Step 1 – Create a DigitalAsset first

Before using any image publicly:

upload the file
create a DigitalAsset
describe it properly
link it to the relevant entity (HO / Person / Organization)

Never use a file that has no DigitalAsset.

Step 2 – Check suitability

Ensure:

quality is sufficient
rights allow publication
description is correct

Not all DigitalAssets are publishable.

Some are internal only (raw scans, working files, duplicates, etc.).

Step 3 – Insert the image

In the public page, embed the file normally:

This displays the image but does not replace the DigitalAsset.

The DigitalAsset remains the research reference.

Step 4 – Caption responsibly

Captions should:

describe what is shown
optionally mention the source

Example:

Important rules

Do:

✓ create DigitalAsset first ✓ embed only selected files ✓ keep research metadata on the DigitalAsset page

Avoid:

✗ uploading files only for illustration ✗ putting research description on File pages ✗ linking directly to raw storage without DigitalAsset

Part 2 – Referencing and citations

Concept

All factual statements must be traceable to sources.

In this system:

DigitalAssets are the sources.

A citation links a statement to one or more DigitalAssets.

Flow:

Statement → DigitalAsset (source)

What counts as a source

DigitalAssets may represent:

scanned documents
newspaper articles
archival records
photographs
letters
reports
books or excerpts

Each of these is a valid citation target.

Step-by-step workflow

Step 1 – Create or locate the DigitalAsset

Before citing:

ensure the source has a DigitalAsset
fill description and metadata
add citation text and permalink if available

Step 2 – Insert reference in text

Use MediaWiki references:

<ref>DA:Newspaper article – Opening ceremony</ref>

Example:

The sanatorium opened in 1923.<ref>DA:Opening ceremony article</ref>

Step 3 – Add references section

At the bottom of the page: