Context : In hierarchical models of galaxy formation , stellar tidal streams are expected around most , if not all , galaxies .
Although these features may provide useful diagnostics of the \Lambda CDM model , their observational properties remain poorly constrained because they are challenging to detect and interpret and have been studied in detail for only a sparse sampling of galaxy population .
More quantitative , systematic approaches are required .
We advocate statistical analysis of the counts and properties of such features in archival wide-field imaging surveys for a direct comparison against results from numerical simulations .

Aims : We aim to study systematically the frequency of occurrence and other observational properties of tidal features around nearby galaxies .
The sample we construct will act as a foundational dataset for statistical comparison with cosmological models of galaxy formation .

Methods : Our approach is based on a visual classification of diffuse features around a volume-limited sample of nearby galaxies , using a post-processing of Sloan Digital Sky Survey ( SDSS ) imaging optimized for the detection of stellar structure with low surface brightness .

Results : At a limiting surface brightness of 28 \mathrm { mag \leavevmode \nobreak arcsec ^ { -2 } } , 14 % of the galaxies in our sample exhibit evidence of diffuse features likely to have arisen from minor merging events .
Our technique recovers all previously known streams in our sample and yields a number of new candidates .
Consistent with previous studies , coherent arc-like features and shells are the most common type of tidal structures found in this study .
We conclude that although some detections are ambiguous and could be corroborated or refuted with deeper imaging , our technique provides a reliable foundation for the statistical analysis of diffuse circumgalactic features in wide-area imaging surveys , and for the identification of targets for follow-up studies .

Conclusions :