How to Cite an Image in Standard American English
Citing images is an important part of academic writing. It allows you to give credit to the original creator of the image and helps your readers to find the image if they want to learn more. There are many different ways to cite an image, depending on the style guide that you are using. The most common style guide for academic writing in the United States is the Modern Language Association (MLA) style.
MLA Style
The MLA style guide has specific rules for citing images. The following is a general format for citing an image in MLA style:
- Image creator’s last name, first name. "Title of image." Title of website, publisher, date of publication, URL.
For example:
- Smith, John. "Mona Lisa." Louvre Museum, 2000, www.louvre.fr/en/mona-lisa.
If the image is from a book, the citation should include the following information:
- Image creator’s last name, first name. "Title of image." Title of book, editor’s name, publisher, date of publication, page numbers.
For example:
- da Vinci, Leonardo. "Mona Lisa." The History of Art, by H.W. Janson, 6th ed., Abrams, 2004, pp. 342-343.
If the image is from a journal article, the citation should include the following information:
- Image creator’s last name, first name. "Title of image." Title of journal, volume number, issue number, date of publication, page numbers.
For example:
- Rembrandt. "Self-Portrait." Art History, vol. 10, no. 2, 1987, pp. 123-134.
Other Style Guides
There are other style guides that you may need to use, depending on your discipline or the requirements of your professor. The following are some of the most common style guides:
- American Psychological Association (APA)
- Chicago Manual of Style
- Turabian Style
Each of these style guides has its own specific rules for citing images. It is important to consult the style guide that you are using to make sure that you are citing images correctly.
FAQs
Q: What is the difference between a citation and a reference list?
A: A citation is a brief reference to a source that is included in the text of your paper. A reference list is a complete list of all of the sources that you have used in your paper.
Q: Why is it important to cite images?
A: Citing images is important because it gives credit to the original creator of the image and helps your readers to find the image if they want to learn more.
Q: How do I find the creator of an image?
A: The creator of an image can often be found by looking at the image itself or by searching for the image online. You can also try using a reverse image search engine to find the original source of the image.
Q: What if I can’t find the creator of an image?
A: If you can’t find the creator of an image, you can cite the image as "Unknown."
Q: How do I cite an image that is available online?
A: To cite an image that is available online, you will need to include the following information in your citation:
- The image creator’s last name, first name.
- The title of the image.
- The title of the website where the image is located.
- The publisher of the website.
- The date that the image was published.
- The URL of the image.
Q: How do I cite an image that is in a book?
A: To cite an image that is in a book, you will need to include the following information in your citation:
- The image creator’s last name, first name.
- The title of the image.
- The title of the book where the image is located.
- The editor of the book.
- The publisher of the book.
- The date that the book was published.
- The page numbers where the image is located.
Q: How do I cite an image that is in a journal article?
A: To cite an image that is in a journal article, you will need to include the following information in your citation:
- The image creator’s last name, first name.
- The title of the image.
- The title of the journal article where the image is located.
- The volume number of the journal article.
- The issue number of the journal article.
- The date that the journal article was published.
- The page numbers where the image is located.
