Guideline #6

Photos and Videos in Research Environments

1. References: Kansas State University, Office of the Vice President for Research, Guidelines for photo and video in research environments: https://www.k-state.edu/research/faculty/other-resources/photo-guidelines/

2. Purpose: To protect the confidentiality and integrity of Kansas State University research, to assure respect for the privacy and safety interests of personnel, and to prevent misleading representation of animal care and use associated with the University.

3. Photos, videos or audio recordings taken by the general public of animals in their natural habitat, that are the same animals covered under a K-State IACUC protocol, do not fall under this policy. For example: the bison on the Konza prairie.

4. Prior approval may need to be obtained from the appropriate experimental location facility manager or director, to include approval of the equipment to be used. For example, the Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) has its own photo and video policy that must be adhered to.

5. PI’s are responsible for securing all photos, videos or audio recordings in a manner that will prevent uncontrolled duplication and distribution. Recommendations include use of a secure server or password protected storage device. Avoid storing sensitive materials on portable or unprotected devices.

5.1. When the camera in a cell phone, tablet, or other smart device is used, both the location services (GPS) and automatic cloud backup of images must be This is recommended because digital images of research animals must not be geotagged, transmitted over insecure networks, or stored in a third party insecure cloud environment.

6. Photo Guidelines:

6.1. All personnel shown in photographs must be wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.

6.2. Individuals captured in the photograph must not be individually identifiable without prior approval. This includes personnel ID badges, personnel lab coats, etc.

6.3. Background and surrounding areas must be clutter free. Avoid location-specific or proprietary information when capturing images. This includes cage cards, room numbers, posters, etc.

6.4. Animals must not be wounded, injured, disabled, disoriented, or show any signs of pain and/or distress.

7. This requirement applies to all formats, including electronic and print media. For non-research or public-facing purposes, including social media, outreach, educational or training materials, and other communications representing Kansas State University, Principal Investigators (PIs) must obtain prior approval from the Animal Photo and Video Task Force Committee an independent university review committee that is separate from the IACUC, before distributing, sharing, or using images, photographs, audio, or video recordings of research animals. For prior approval please contact Office of Research Integrity, Compliance and Security (ORICS) at comply@ksu.edu. For reference to the Research Photo and Video Guideline, https://www.k-state.edu/research/faculty/other-resources/photo-guidelines/

LAST REVIEWED AND ADOPTED BY THE IACUC: August 6, 2026