Describe the usable unit
Before-and-after images, inspection notes and job context. Explain whether the archive preserves the connections between records and the process they represent. File count alone does not show coverage, quality or usefulness.
Ask this before preparing a sample
Ask about image rights, visible identifiers and whether metadata can be minimized without losing task context.
Review sensitive and restricted elements
Faces, addresses, location metadata and third-party property rights. Check the actual contents, including hidden fields, metadata, embedded files and related records. Data minimization and de-identification are separate from confirming the right to license the material.
Evidence to bring to a fit discussion
Prepare a schema or category-level description, date range, approximate volume, export format, known gaps and exclusion list. Clearly distinguish measurements from estimates. Do not upload the underlying archive simply to obtain a preliminary opinion.
Compare the proposed use
Ask whether the provider wants training examples, evaluation material, retrieval content or a simulated environment. These are different purposes and should not be bundled into vague unrestricted language. Confirm downstream recipients, duration and any right to sublicense.
Tests to agree before a sample
- Review EXIF metadata as well as the image pixels.
- Make sure before and after images belong to the same job.
- Record whether annotations are original observations or later labels.