Referring to an image only (but NOT copying it into your assignment)
Use the in-text citation when you are citing (referring to) the image in the body of your work and add a reference list entry for your reference list at the end.
An image can include a photograph, table, diagram or infographic etc.
Reproducing (copying) an image into your assignment
To reproduce (insert) an image into your assignment you must also include an attribution in the form of locators and a caption as well.
Locators & Captions
Locators such as Figure 1 etc. are used to identify images or diagrams whenever they are included as part of the assignment. In APA the locator is always a figure.
The caption includes the following elements: Description, Source & Licence information.
Description= Includes the title and format. If there is no title for the image include a description in brackets [Description] instead.
Source= Includes the author, date and where the image is from, ie website, book, journal etc.
Licence = ie creative commons CC BY 2.0, Copyright year by author, CC0 1.0 (for public domain).
For more information about attributing creative commons licencing material go to the Smartcopying website.
Best practice is that the caption is under the relevant image/table etc.
However if you are creating a poster you can put the caption information with the reference list entries information in small print at the bottom or side margin of your poster.
For a slide presentation, put the caption under the image or at the bottom of the slide the image is on. Add a final slide with reference list entries.
Example of Locator/Caption
Figure 1. Example cancer patient data set [Table], by Je65917, 2022, Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Example_Cancer_Patient_Data_Set.png). CC BY-SA 4.0.
In-text citation
According to Figure 1 (Je65917, 2022), it is clear the suspect gene is present in more patients than anticipated.
Reference List
Je65917. (2022, April 20). Example cancer patient data set [Table], Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Example_Cancer_Patient_Data_Set.png
See examples listed below by source type: web sites, books or journals.
Finding an image author
If you can't find who created an image on a site, try doing a reverse image search to see other pages where an image has been published. This may give you more information. This page demonstrates how to do a reverse image search.
Examples include:
A figure number and caption to be used if you are inserting the image into your assignment.
An in-text citation to be used if you are referring to the image in your assignment.
A reference list entry that must be included at the end of your assignment.
Caption format (source web site)
Stand-alone images not part of a web page
Locator x. Title of Image [Format], by A. A. Author, Year, Site Name (DOI/URL). Licence.
*The author should be the author of image, if no author is identifiable then use the organisation that created the web page as the author.
Flickr web site (may or may not be Creative Commons, check licence)
Figure 1. Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea [Photograph], by P. Kavanagh, 2023, Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/patrick_k59/52614813930/). CC BY 2.0.
Creative Commons web site (Pexels, Pixabay & Unsplash)
Figure 2. Black framed eyeglasses [Photograph], by Jamie Street, 2018, Unsplash (https://unsplash.com/photos/black-framed-eyeglasses-MoDcnVRN5JU). Upsplash licence.
Public Domain
Figure 3. Bookworm penguin [Image], by Moini, 2013, Openclipart (https://openclipart.org/detail/174860/bookworm-penguin). CC0 1.0.
Other
Figure 4. Sorting through our space junk [Infographic], by R. Palmer & R. McCarthy, 2015, World Science Festival. (www.worldsciencefestival.com/infographics/space-junk-infographic/), Copyright n.d. by World Science Festival.
Images part of a web page
Locator x. Title of Image [Format], From Title of webpage, by A. A. Author, Year, Site Name (DOI/URL). Copyright by Author.
Figure 5. Staff and average salaries, public hospitals, 2022–23 [Table], From Australia’s hospitals at a glance, by Australian Institute for Health and Welfare, 2023, (https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/hospitals/australias-hospitals-at-a-glance). Copyright 2023 by National Public Hospital Establishments Database.
*For webpages omit the site name if the same as web page author.
*The copyright author is the author of the image not the web page.
In-text citation
Figure 1. of the Curlew sandpiper (Kavanagh, 2023) is an example of …
Figure 2. of a dog reading (Street, 2018) is an example of a creative commons image available ...
According to Figure 4. (Rossman & Palmer) the weight of all the space junk around earth is equal to a 1000 African elephants.
Figure 5, shows administrative and clerical staff make up 18% of the salaried staff in public hospitals (National Public Hospital Establishments Database, 2023, para.14).
Note: If you are just inserting an image in your assignment but not referring to it in-text then you don't need to add an in-text citation, ie Figure 3.
Reference List
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of work [Format]. Site Name. https://xxxxx
*The author should be the author of image, if no author is identifiable then use the organisation that created the web page as the author.
Kavanagh, P. (2023, January 8). Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea [Photograph].
Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/patrick_k59/52614813930/
Monini. (2013, February 6). Bookworm penguin [Image]. Openclipart. https://openclipart.org/detail/174860/bookworm-
National Public Hospital Establishments Database. (2023). Staff and average salaries, public
hospitals [Table]. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. https://www.aihw.gov.au/hospitals/overview/hospitals-at-a-glance
Rossman, J., & Palmer, R. (2015). Sorting through our space junk [Infographic]. World Science
Festival. https://www.worldsciencefestival.com/2015/11/space-junk-infographic
Street, J. (2018, September 3). Black framed eyeglasses [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/black-framed-
Examples include:
A figure number and caption to be used if you are inserting the image in your assignment.
An in-text citation to be used if you are referring to the image in your assignment.
A reference list entry that must be included at the end of your assignment.
Caption format (source book)
Locator x. Title of Image [Format], From Title of Book or Report (p. x), by A. A. Author and B. B. Author, year, Publisher (DOI or URL). Copyright year by Publisher.
Figure 3. Components of the nursing process [Diagram], From Tabbner's nursing care: Theory and practice (Nursing process: framework), by G. Koutoukidis and K. Stainton, 2021, Elsevier Australia. Copyright 2021 by Elsevier Australia.
*If eBook has no page numbers use the chapter title instead.
*For a book check for the copyright statement in the front of the book to identify copyright holder.
In-text citation
The components of nursing diagram figure 3 (Koutoukidis & Stainton, 2021) shows a five-step process ...
Reference List
Koutoukidis, G., & Stainton, K. (2021). Tabbner's nursing care: Theory and practice (8th ed.). Elsevier Australia.
Examples include:
A figure number and caption to be used if you are inserting the image in your assignment.
An in-text citation to be used if you are referring to the image in your assignment.
A reference list entry that must be included at the end of your assignment.
Caption format (source Journal)
Locator x.. Title of Image [Format], From “Title of Article,” by A. A. Author and B. B. Author, year, Title of Periodical, Volume(Issue), p. X. (DOI or URL). Copyright year by Publisher.
Figure 4. Comparative grid of the seven levels of evidence [Table], From "A nurses’ guide to the hierarchy of research designs and evidence", by R. Ingham-Broomfield, 2016, Australian Journal of Advance Nursing, 33(3), p. 42. (https://tafeqld.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ebscohost.com%2flogin.aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26db%3da9h%26AN%3d114833287%26site%3deds-live%26scope%3dsite&profile=eds). Copyright 2016 by Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing.
*For a journal article the author is the copyright owner unless a different creator is listed below the image.
In-text citation
Level 7 is considered the least reliable of the levels of evidence listed on Figure 4. (Ingham-Broomfield, 2016) while ...
Reference List
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Title of journal, vol(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Ingham-Broomfield, R. (2016). A nurses’ guide to the hierarchy of research designs and evidence. Australian Journal of Advance Nursing, 33(3), p. 38-43. http://doi.org/10.37464/2016.333.1554
Examples include:
A figure number and caption to be used if you are inserting the image into your assignment.
An in-text citation to be used if you are referring to the image in your assignment.
A reference list entry that must be included at the end of your assignment.
Caption format (source Microsoft & Adobe)
Locator x. From Title of Image [Format], by A. A. Author, Year, Publisher. (DOI/URL). Licence.
*The author is the creator of the image.
Adobe stock
Figure 1. From Beagle head isolated on white [Photograph], by Igor Normann, n.d., Adobe. (https://stock.adobe.com/images/beagle-head-isolated-on-white/57528839?msockid=2f16b7450c1163320ad3a25c0deb6235). used with permission.
Note if the Adobe stock image is AI generated then use the format [Gen AI Image] instead of [Photograph].
Microsoft stock (Note: only available via web O365 version)
Figure 2. From [Untitled photograph of daisy flowers]. by Microsoft Office 365, n.d., Microsoft. Microsoft Stock Image, used under license.
Microsoft screenshot
Figure 3. From [Screenshot of word classic ribbon], by Microsoft Office 365, n.d., Microsoft. used with permission from Microsoft.
Microsoft Standard terms of use allow for screenshots of Microsoft products to be taken for education.
There are limitations to what can be done:
Do not alter the screenshot except to resize it.
Do not use portions of the screenshots.
Do not include screenshots in your product user interface.
Do not use screenshots that contain third-party content.
Do not use screenshots that contain an image of an identifiable individual.
Do not use screenshots of Microsoft product boot-up screens, opening screens, "splash screens" or screens from beta release products or products that have not been commercially released.
In-text citation
The flowers in Figure 2 (Microsoft O365, n.d.-b) are a member of the Asteraceae family.
Note: If you are just inserting an image in your assignment but not referring to it in text you don't need to add an in-text citation, ie. Figure 1 & 3.
Reference List
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of work [Format]. Site Name. https://xxxxx
*The author is the creator of the image.
Microsoft Office 365. (n.d.-a). [Screenshot of word classic ribbon]. https://www.office.com
Microsoft Office 365. (n.d.-b). [Untitled photograph of daisy flowers]. https://www.office.com
Normann, I. (n.d.). Beagle head isolated on white [Photograph]. Adobe Stock. https://stock.adobe.com
If the author and site name are the same omit the site name.
If there is no title use a description in square brackets.