AVAnnotate Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to use AVAnnotate?

To use AVAnnotate, you will need:

What kinds of media are appropriate to annotate in AVAnnotate?

Eligible materials include open-access recordings, works released under Creative Commons licenses, IIIF-hosted digital objects, and files recorded by the annotator. Commercial films, streaming media, and other copyrighted videos may not be used without explicit permission to redistribute. When the rights status is unclear, permissions should be confirmed before proceeding.

Many libraries, archives, and museums offer online AV files that are free and open to the public. They may also offer IIIF manifests for digitized audio and video recordings. The (Internet Archive)[https://archive.org/] is another great resource for finding direct links to and IIIF manifests for audio and video files.

How do I get started creating annotations?

Getting started is easy! You can create annotations using the AVAnnotate dashboard, or you can create your annotations in spreadsheets and upload them through the AVAnnotate dashboard. The spreadsheet templates are designed to help you get started. Make a copy of each spreadsheet template (one for Events, Tags, and Annotations., respectively).

Does each cell on my Annotations, Events, and Tags spreadsheet have to be filled in?

On annotation spreadsheets, start time, end time, and annotation are all required. If you are using column headers, these also need to be filled in, so you cannot leave one header blank and fill in the rest. Other cells are not required.

I have successfully added my Tags and Events, but cannot “save” my project after uploading my Annotations spreadsheet. What should I do?

This likely means there is an issue with your Annotations spreadsheet (e.g., an empty cell, or a missing start/end time on a given timestamp, or a wrong tag). Double-check that you have correctly filled out every cell corresponding to your annotations, make sure your tags are created properly, and try importing the spreadsheet again.

How do I format multiple tags on a single annotation?

In the AVAnnotate editing interface, after adding tags and tag categories, multiple tags can be added to a single annotation by selecting them from the available tag list. For bulk uploading, adding multiple tags is a little different). In the “tags” column, tags and their corresponding categories should be separated by a vertical bar, like this: Tag | Tag 2, and so on. For example, in “Spaces and Dreams in Muriel Rukeyser’s The Speed of Darkness”, the first annotation includes two tags: “Speaking” and “Transcription,” which would show up in the template’s “Tag” column as Speaking | Transcription.

How should I structure tag categories?

Tags should organize projects, not decorate them. Before starting an AVAnnotate project, define a small, coherent vocabulary to use for the project’s tags. If a project’s tag list grows too long, the tags become less effective. Tag categories should reflect conceptual priorities, not every minor detail.

How many annotations should a project include?

There is no minimum or maximum, but clarity matters. A small number of well-defined annotations is more effective than hundreds of granular timestamps with no interpretive purpose. Aim for single-idea units: one annotation should explain one meaningful moment or feature.

How do I decide what to annotate?

Annotate moments that support the project’s overall goals and purpose. Identify patterns, themes, transitions, gestures, sound changes, or tonal shifts. If everything is marked, nothing is meaningful. Focus on analytical relevance rather than exhaustiveness.

Yes. External links, bibliographic references, and contextual notes can be added to annotations. Make sure to maintain source metadata and avoid linking to copyrighted media that cannot be shared without permission.

Can I work collaboratively with others on one project?

Yes. Multiple users can collaborate on an AVAnnotate project. Each collaborator must have a GitHub account and editing permissions. Agree on tagging conventions and annotation procedures before multiple people start contributing.

What does “OAuth” mean, and what am I giving GitHub permission to access?

OAuth enables applications to interact with a user’s GitHub account, such as accessing repositories or user data, after the user grants permission. To create and edit an AVAnnotate project, the application must have permission to access the GitHub account where the repository will be created.

I received an email from GitHub stating “Run failed: Deploy main branch to GitHub Pages.” What should I do?

Nothing. This email is automatically generated by GitHub when an event is interrupted, but many activities are interrupted during the generation of an AVAnnotate project. If your project still works, please ignore these emails.