Locating Images

Citing an image requires paying attention to the image's origin.  This is the basic template for citing an image or photograph:

APA Format

Author's last name, Author's first initlal. (Year of publication). Title of photograph [Photograph]. Source. URL

MLA Format

Author's last name, First name. Image Title. Year of publication, location or source.

The following are instructions on how to cite images from various sources.

Citing an Image from Google Images/Other Internet Sources

1. Click on the image you want to use.
2. Click on the website link below the image, which will take you to the image's original website.
3. Look for any information about the photo that you would need for your citation.  This would be information such as the photographer/artist/author, date published, image title, article title, and website name.  If the image is part of an article, the information may be located at the beginning of the article instead of near the photo.  If you are unable to locate this information, check the references page of the article for a citation for the image.  If the image does not have a title, you can make up your own description of the image to use as the title.
4. Put the information into the citation style you need.  This can be done manually or with a bibliography management software.

Citing Images from Library Databases

1. Select the database you want to search and locate an image you want to use.  Click on the image or item record to access the image's profile page.
2. If you are using a bibliographic management program, add the citation information from the image's profile to a bibliography management software or record it to create a manual citation.  Some databases have an option to show the item's full record, which will include a breakdown of the image's citation information.  If you are using EBSCOhost databases, such as DragonQuest or Academic Search Complete, you can use the "cite" tool on the right side of the search result's page.  This will give you premade citations in several bibliographic styles.  All you need to do is find style you need and copy and paste it into your final document or references page.
3. Organize the information into the citation style that you need (if creating a manual citation) or export the information from a bibliography management software to your paper/assignment.

Citing Images from Library/Museum Collections

1. Select the image you want to cite and click on it to get a detailed summary of the image.
2. Record the date, artist, title, and website for your citation.  This will typically be located to the left or right side of the image.  Museums and libraries are very good at providing this type of information to users, so it should be easy to locate.  If you are using a bibliography management program, it can record the information for you.  If the image is a piece of artwork, you may also want to include the medium as well.  Some websites have the option to download the image and metadata for the item, which includes information required for accurate citation.  Lastly, some websites create citations for users that they can copy and paste into their references.  The Library of Congress (see below) provides this to users who may want to cite their collections.
3. Put the recorded information into the citation style that you need or copy and paste the premade citation into your references.
4. Remember to create an in-text citation for the image in your work and include it in your references!

Example: Library of Congress Image Page

If you need extra assistance in citing images in your work, one of these sources or books from our EBSCOhost databases may be able to help.

References List: Audiovisual Media:  PurdueOWL provides a guide to citing different audiovisual materials, and citing images are included in this guide.

We also have several eBooks in our collection that may help you with citing images.