Subject guides: CDU APA Referencing: Visual works (images, figures, tables...)

Understanding Copyright

Images, figures, tables, graphs, and other visual works can provide helpful evidence and reinforcement to your research, but as with other resources, content and ideas must be credited.

When reproducing images, be aware of copyright and licensing restrictions. Images can be found in journal articles, books, web pages, or online image collections like Flickr. Not all images are freely available and might be subject to copyright restrictions.

When reproducing (inserting/pasting) an image, make sure you understand copyright.

You can read more about this on the CDU Referencing Guide: Copyright and Images page.

✓ Generally Allowed: Using copyrighted images for study purposes (e.g., in an assignment) with proper attribution and reference.

✘ Generally Not Allowed: Publishing work (e.g., a poster created for an assignment used in your workplace) would breach copyright. UNLESS copyright permission is attained from the owner.

Please note: If your thesis is publicly available, you may need permission for copyrighted images.

There are three main ways of referencing visual works based on use and source location:

Referring to images but not reproducing them in your work.
Reproducing images from an online collection – e.g., Google Images, Pixabay, Pexels, Wikimedia Commons.
Reproducing images from within a source – e.g., in a report, website, book, journal article.

Referring to but Not Reproducing Images

You can cite an image from an online collection without reproducing it. When you refer to a visual work in text but do not insert/paste the visual work, you would use a citation and reference only.

From an online collection

In the photo Autumn Ivy (Curtin University Library, 2007) …

Curtin University Library. (2007). Autumn ivy [Photograph]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/curtinuniversitylibrary/1440410713

From within a source

Author (date) or (Author, date)

Referenced as per source type, i.e. book, journal article, website…

Reproducing Images: What It Looks Like

‘Reproducing’ an image means inserting or pasting it into your work as a visual work. When you reproduce a visual work, you must include a caption acknowledgment beneath it.

Here is an example of an image reproduced in a report:

Effective pain management is essential in postoperative care to enhance recovery and reduce complications like deep vein thrombosis and delayed healing (Berg et al., 2018). Nurses commonly assess pain using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS).

Figure 1

From Measuring Pain in the Clinic, European Pain Clinic, n.d., (https://europeanpainfederation.eu/measuring-pain-in-the-clinic/)

As shown in Figure 1, patients rate their pain from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst possible pain). This helps determine the appropriate pain management strategy. Proper pain control can improve patient comfort, reduce hospital stays, and enhance recovery (Kehlet & Dahl, 2019). Timely and accurate pain assessment using tools like the NRS ensures that interventions are…

Visual work from an online collection

Caption (placed below the visual work)

From Title of Visual Work [Format], by A. A. Author, Year, Publisher. (DOI/URL). Licence.

Reference List Entry

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of visual work. [Type]. Publisher. DOI or URL

Visual work [TYPE] examples = [Photograph]. [Figure]. [Table]. [Map]. [Graph]. [Chart].
It is acceptable to resize the caption to a smaller font if it is too long
If created by you and published (e.g., Facebook) use this forma
If unpublished, cite visual work as personal communication
For more information about CC Licenses, check out https://creativecommons.org/

From Zebra Finches [Photograph], by R. H. Lee, 2009, Flickr. (https://flic.kr/p/6k75fD). CC BY-SA 2.0.

Reference list

Lee, R. H. (2009). Zebra finches [Photograph]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/6k75fD

Note:

If the image has a long title, use the first few words of the title in the in-text citation.
The image title in the in-text citation has capital letters on all words as it is a part of the text of your essay.
Include the full title of the image in the reference.
Use sentence case capitalisation in the reference list entry.

The photo of a brown bear is by Rasmus Svinding, 2006, Pexels. (https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-bear-35435/). CC0.

Reference list

Svinding, R. (2006). [Brown bear] [Photograph]. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-bear-35435/

Note:

In the caption provide a brief description of the image.
In the reference list entry, enclose the brief description of the image in square brackets.

From Schematic Diagram of the Human Eye [Photograph], by Rhcastilhos, 2007, Wikimedia Commons. (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schematic_diagram_of_the_human_eye_sCH.png). In the public domain.

Reference list

Rhcastilhos. (2007). Schematic diagram of the human eye [Photograph]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schematic_diagram_of_the_human_eye_en.svg

Note:

Cite images in the public domain/with a CC0 Licence even if no attribution required.
If it is a clipart with no attribution details, please add a visual description in the caption.
Give the author’s name exactly as it appears on the source page of the image.

Visual work from a resource

Caption (placed below the visual work)

From Title of Resource, by Author, Year. Publisher (DOI/URL).

Reference List Entry

Reference as source type i.e. book, journal article, website…

If it is not clear that the image is licenced under Creative Commons or is in the public domain, assume that the image is under copyright.

From “Romantic Relationship Development: The Interplay Between Age and Relationship Length,” by A. Lantagne and W. Furman, 2017, Developmental Psychology, 53(9), p. 1744 (https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000363). Copyright 2017 by the American Psychological Association

Reference list

Lantagne, A., & Furman, W. (2017). Romantic relationship development: The interplay between age and relationship length. Developmental Psychology, 53(9), 1738-1749. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000363

From Plant Anatomy: Images and Diagrams to Explain Concepts (p. 6), by S. M. Bellairs, 2018, Charles Darwin University (https://cduebooks.pressbooks.pub/plantanatomy/). CC BY-SA 4.0.

Reference list

Bellairs, S. M. (2018). Plant anatomy: Images and diagrams to explain concepts. Charles Darwin University. https://cduebooks.pressbooks.pub/plantanatomy

From How Tobacco* Impacts your Health by Department of Public Health, n.d. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (https://www.mass.gov/info-details/how-tobacco-impacts-your-health).

Reference list

Department of Public Health. (n.d.). How tobacco* impacts your health. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/how-tobacco-impacts-your-health

From From 9/11 to Christchurch Earthquakes: How Unis Have Supported Students After a Crisis, by P. Gonzalez, 2020, The Conversation (https://theconversation.com/from-9-11-to-christchurch-earthquakes-how-unis-have-supported-students-after-a-crisis-130047). Copyright n.d. by Hubert Boesl/DPA.

Reference list

Gonzalez, P. (2020, January 23). From 9/11 to Christchurch earthquakes: How unis have supported students after a crisis. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/from-9-11-to-christchurch-earthquakes-how-unis-have-supported-students-after-a-crisis-130047

Note:

When the copyright holder of the image is identified add: Copyright 'year' by 'Copyright holder name'.

From Vaping Products Aren’t Regulated so it’s Difficult to Know Exactly What They Contain [Image], by Lung Foundation Australia, 2023, Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/CoWiY0IsDIm/).

Reference list

Lung Foundation Australia [@lungfoundation]. (2023, February 7). Vaping products aren’t regulated so it’s difficult to know exactly what they contain [Image]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CoWiY0IsDIm