If you're unsure how to cite or reference an image, this page is for you. It explains the different types of images you might include in your assignment and offers tips on citing and referencing them. It also introduces Easy Cite, a great referencing tool.
Students often include images in their assignments, such as:
artwork
graphs, charts and tables
photographs
diagrams
decorative images.
And the images they use can come from various sources. For example, they could be:
books, journals, websites, etc.
a student's image made from data taken from another source
a student's own original artwork or image
AI generated
social media
databases.
Regardless of the type of image you are using, or where you have found it, you will need to cite those images in your academic work. This forms part of acting with academic integrity and giving credit to the creator of any images you use.
Let's explore some of the factors we need to take into consideration.
Referencing style
At RMIT, different courses require specific referencing styles such as AGLC4, APA 7th Edition, Chicago A, Chicago B, IEEE, RMIT Harvard, and Vancouver. Each style has unique formatting rules that should be followed to enhance your work and avoid losing marks and this applies to the images that you use. Check your assignment instructions for the required style, and contact academic staff if you’re unsure.
Use Easy Cite for detailed information on citing and referencing images.
Acknowledgement
Images need to be cited in three places in assignments:
in-text
as captions
in your reference list.
In-text
Whenever you include images in assignments, you should refer to them in your text. If you don't provide explanation of what the image represents your reader may not understand how it is relevant.
When referring to the image in-text, remember to include the figure or table number. This helps to keep your work organised and makes it easier for the reader to locate information. Use Easy Cite to find out how to use table and figure numbers in your referencing style.
Here are a few examples some examples of how you can refer to your images:
Refer to the image in a sentence:
As can be seen from Figure 2, profits for the period increased steadily.
Figure 7 shows the migration patterns of hooded plovers.
Refer to the image in brackets:
Abd (2025) is adamant that house prices will continue to rise (see Table 4).
In the late 1920s, Garcia experimented with precisionism (represented in Figure 2).
Figure 1
Squeeze the day
Note. A still life painting of an orange. From “Collected works,” by Orion Montague, 2024, (https://www.orion-montague.com/collected works). Copyright 2024 by Orion Montague LLC.
Captions
Regardless of the type of image you include or where it was sourced from, it should have a caption. How your caption is formatted will depend on the referencing style you are using, but generally, they will include some or all of these features:
a table or figure number. This number should be used when referring to the image in your text. For example: As can be seen in Figure 1,...
a description or title of the image
bibliographic details such as names of authors, title, URL, publisher, etc. However, this will depend on the referencing style you are using.
Figure 2
Renal anatomy
Note. Anatomy of human renal system. From "Introduction to kidney health," by M. Perez, 2025, Journal of Kidney Health Studies, 12, p. 46 (https://doi.org/10.1242/s3948586). Copyright 2024 by JOKHS.
Reference lists
Any images from books, websites, databases, etc. need to be included in the reference list also and referenced accordingly. Include the details of the source where the image was found, for example the details of the book or website you where located the image.
For non-creative images like tables, graphs, and charts sourced from other works, reference them according to the style of the source material (e.g., a book, journal, or website) in the required referencing style.
Formatting references for artistic works differs between referencing styles. Please check Easy Cite for more detailed information.
Referring to images not included in your work
You might encounter situations where you discuss an image without including it in your assignment. This often occurs with images from books, webpages, or articles. In such cases, you should include:
an in-text citation: Follow the usual citation format for the source where you viewed the image, which depends on your referencing style.
a reference list entry: Add an entry for the source where viewed the image. For example, if the image was in a book, provide a reference entry for the book; if it was on a webpage, use the webpage referencing format.
Here's an example using the APA 7th edition referencing style to cite and reference an image from an ebook:
Example citation:
In Drowsy Dedication, Bagdonas depicts a father fighting back fatigue to spend quality time with his children (Muller, 2023).
Example reference list entry:
Muller, J. (2023). Artistic depictions of modern parenting. Artscape. https://doi.org/10.2224/93h33415306315
Note: The referencing and citation examples on this page are in the APA 7th edition style. For instructions on how to reference and cite images in other styles, please visit Easy Cite.
