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MLA Photograph Citation

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How to cite a photograph in a bibliography using MLA

The most basic entry for a photograph citation consists of the creator’s name(s), the image title, the creation date, and location details. The MLA 9 citation format varies depending on where you viewed the image.

Begin with the name of the photographer. This person’s name should be reversed, with a comma after the last name and a period after the first name (and any middle name). A suffix, such as a roman numeral or Jr./Sr. should appear after the person’s given name, preceded by a comma.

Photograph viewed firsthand in a museum:

When citing an image viewed in-person in a museum and/or collection, vary the format by including the name of the museum/collection and the city where the museum is located.

Last Name, First Name. Image Title . Creation Date, Museum/Collection Name, Location.

Smith, John. Sunset on the Atlantic . 2000. Museum of Modern Art, New York City.

Personal photograph viewed firsthand:

When citing an image viewed in-person, such as a personal photograph, vary the format by using a description of the image, not a formal title of the image. When describing an image without a title, capitalize the first word of the description as you would in a regular sentence. Omit the location information since it isn’t a famous or published work. You may also include the file format detail (e.g., JPEG, GIF, PNG) in the optional-element slot at the end of the entry.

Last Name, First Name. Description of the image. Creation Date. Digital File Type (optional).

Doe, Jane. My dog enjoying her walk. 3 May 2021. PNG.

Photograph viewed in a print publication:

For a photograph from a publication, conclude the citation with location information for the publication information, or the larger container, housing the photograph. See the Citation Guide entries for these works (e.g., books, magazines, newspapers) for more specific guidelines.

Last Name, First Name. Image Title . Publication Title , Publication Date, page(s).

Smith, John. Sunset on the Atlantic . The New Yorker , 14. Apr. 2015, p. 53.

If there is no creation date available, omit the date.

Smith, John. Sunset on the Atlantic . The New Yorker , p. 53.

Photograph viewed online:

For a photograph viewed online, conclude the citation with the website name in italics and the location (such as a DOI, permalink, or URL). According to MLA’s 9th edition updated in 2021, you may usually leave out http:// or https:// from URLs unless you want to hyperlink them or unless instructed otherwise. When in doubt, ask your instructor. If a DOI is available, use that instead of the URL. For DOIs, use http:// or https:// before the DOI: https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxx.xxxx.xxxx. Use a period after the DOI.

If a publication or posting date isn’t available, include the accessed date after the location. Format the date using the international format of day-month-year. Follow the access date with a period. For dates, abbreviate month names, except for May, June, and July (using the first four letters for September and the first three letters for all other months), followed by a period.

Last Name, First Name. Image Title . Publication Date. Publication Title , DOI or URL.

Smith, John. Sunset on the Atlantic . 1 Nov. 2000. CNN , cnn.com/imagearchives/image-sunset-on-atlantic.

Last Name, First Name. Image Title . Publication Title , DOI or URL. Accessed Date.

Smith, John. Sunset on the Atlantic . CNN , cnn.com/imagearchives/image-sunset-on-atlantic. Accessed 1 May 2021.

Troubleshooting

Solution #1: how to cite a photograph with no photographer.

1. Double check that the photo doesn’t have an organization or group photographer. If this is the case, the photo credit provided for the photo will be the name of an organization.

For example:

World Health Organization. Photograph of three doctors giving the thumbs up sign. “WHO and Partners Call for Action to Better Protect Health and Care Workers from COVID-19,” by Sonali Reddy, 21 Oct. 2021.  World Health Organization, www.who.int/news/item/21-10-2021-who-and-partners-call-for-action-to-better-protect-health-and-care-workers-from-covid-19.

However, if no credit is provided for the photo, do not assume that the organization/group that posted it is the photographer.

2. If no photographer or group/organization photographer has been identified for the photo you are trying to cite, you can begin your citation with the title or description of the photo.

For example: 

Photograph of watercolor paint tubes. “18 Essential Watercolour Techniques for Every Artist,” by Brynn Metheney, 21 Sept. 2021.  Creative Bloq , www.creativebloq.com/illustration/20-watercolor-techniques-every-artist-should-know-31619705.

Solution #2: How to cite a photograph within a book or article written by a different author

If you are citing a photo within an article or book, and the photographer is someone other than the author of the article or book, you need to make sure you give credit to both individuals in your citation. Follow the templates and examples below to learn how to format a reference list entry for a photograph within a book or article.

Reference list entry template:

Photographer Surname, First Name. Title or description of photograph. “Title of Article,” by Author First Name Surname, Publication date. Website/Publication Name , URL.

Photographer Surname, First Name. Title or description of photograph. Book Title , by Author First Name Surname, Publisher Name, Publication Year, Page Number.

Reference list entry example:

Akmen, Tolga. Photograph of commuters on London underground train. “An Offshoot of the Delta Variant is Rising in the U.K.,” by Sanjay Mishra, 2 Nov. 2021. National Geographic, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/an-offshoot-of-the-delta-variant-is-rising-in-the-uk.

Photograph of the inside of a tokamak.  The Atom: A Visual Tour , by Jack Challoner, MIT Press, 2018, p. 163.

Solution #3: How to cite a photograph posted on social media

The format for citing a photograph on social media depends on the site being referenced. Below are templates and examples for citing photos on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

1. Facebook

Account Name/Author Surname, First Name. Photo description. Facebook, Day Month Year posted, URL.

National Park Service. Photo of American Memorial Park. Facebook, 4 Nov. 2021, www.facebook.com/americanmemorialpark/photos/a.368285423296177/3292590387532318.

Account Name/Author Surname, First Name [@twitterhandle]. Photo description. Twitter, Day Month Year posted, URL.

Musk, Elon [@elonmusk]. Photo of rocket launch pad. Twitter, 12 Sept. 2021, twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1437220114613555202/photo/1.

3. Instagram

Account Name/Author Surname, First Name. Photo description. Instagram, Day Month Year posted, URL.

Green, John [@johngreenwritesbooks]. Photo of  A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor cover. Instagram,  7 July 2020, www.instagram.com/p/CCV89ubH-Ho/?utm_medium=copy_link.

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As per MLA style, a personal photograph viewed firsthand has a different format that includes the description of the image rather than an official title. Use the format and example below as a base to build upon.

Rickets, Rob. An astronaut taking a walk in space. 5 March 2000. BMP.

According to MLA style, a photograph viewed firsthand at a museum includes the name of the photographer, the title of the photograph (or a description, if there is no title), the year it was taken, the name of the museum, and the museum’s location. Use the format and example below to create your own works-cited entry for this type of source.

Photographer Last Name, First Name. Title or Description of the Image . Year, Museum, Location.

Cassatt, Mary. Young Mother Sewing . 1900, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

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How to Cite Images, Tables and Diagrams

The pages outlines examples of how to cite images, tables and diagrams using the Harvard Referencing method .

An image found online

In-text citations

Mention the image in the text and cite the author and date:

The cartoon by Frith (1968) describes ...

If the image has no named author, cite the full name and date of the image:

The map shows the Parish of Maroota during the 1840s (Map of the Parish of Maroota, County of Cumberland, District of Windsor 1840-1849)

List of References

Include information in the following order:

• author (if available)
• year produced (if available)
• title of image (or a description)
• Format and any details (if applicable)
• name and place of the sponsor of the source
• accessed day month year (the date you viewed/ downloaded the image)
• URL or Internet address (between pointed brackets).

Frith J 1968, From the rich man’s table, political cartoon by John Frith, Old Parliament House, Canberra, accessed 11 May 2007, <http: // www . oph.gov.au/frith/theherald-01.html>.

If there is no named author, put the image title first, followed by the date (if available):

Khafre pyramid from Khufu’s quarry 2007, digital photograph, Ancient Egypt Research Associates, accessed 2 August 2007, <http: // www . aeraweb.org/khufu_quarry.asp>.

Map of the Parish of Maroota, County of Cumberland, District of Windsor 1840-1849, digital image of cartographic material, National Library of Australia, accessed 13 April 2007, <http: // nla . gov.au/nla.map-f829>.  

Online images/diagrams used as figures

Figures include diagrams, graphs, sketches, photographs and maps. If you are writing a report or an assignment where you include a visual as a figure, unless you have created it yourself, you must include a reference to the original source.

Figures should be numbered and labelled with captions. Captions should be simple and descriptive and be followed by an in-text citation. Figure captions should be directly under the image.

Cite the author and year in the figure caption:

Figure 1: Bloom's Cognitive Domain (Benitez 2012)

If you refer to the Figure in the text, also include a citation:

As can be seen from Figure 1 (Benitez 2012)

Provide full citation information:

Benitez J 2012, Blooms Cognitve Domain, digital image, ALIEM, accessed 2 August 2015, <https: // www . aliem.com/blooms-digital-taxonomy/>.   

Online data in a table caption

In-text citation

If you reproduce or adapt table data found online you must include a citation. All tables should be numbered and table captions should be above the table.

  Table 2: Agricultural water use, by state 2004-05 (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006)

If you refer to the table in text, include a citation:

As indicated in Table 2, a total of 11 146 502 ML was used (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006)

Include the name of the web page where the table data is found.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006, Water Use on Australian Farms , 2004-05, Cat. no. 4618.0, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, accessed 4 July 2007, <https: // www . abs.gov.au>.

FAQ and troubleshooting

Harvard referencing

• How to cite different sources
• How to cite references
• How to cite online/electronic sources
• Broadcast and other sources
• Citing images and tables
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How to Cite a Photograph

Last Updated: August 27, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Corey Reese and by wikiHow staff writer, Megaera Lorenz, PhD . Corey Reese is a Photographer and VR developer based in Atlanta, Georgia. He has over 18 years of photography experience across various industries, including fashion, fitness, and entertainment. He has educated over 55,500 students about photography through online learning platforms. Corey’s impressive client roster includes Essence Magazine, BET, Bravo, Adidas, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Emory University. Corey is the creator of “Immersive Exposure,” a virtual reality app designed to revolutionize photography education by providing immersive, interactive learning experiences. Through Immersive Exposure, Corey blends his expertise in photography with cutting-edge VR technologies. He holds a degree in Computer Information Sciences from Catawba College. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 204,417 times.

If you discuss or use a photograph in a paper or publication, you will need to cite it. A good citation protects the photographer's ownership of the image and allows your readers to access the image for further reference. The way you cite a photograph will depend on which citation style you are using, as well as the source of the photograph. If you reproduce a photograph in your work, you will need to include an appropriate credit line.

Selecting Your Citation Style

• If you live in the US, the most common citation styles are APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), and CMS (Chicago Manual of Style).

• If you are writing in a specialized discipline like the sciences or law and legal studies, choose a citation style that is specific to your discipline (e.g., Council of Science Editors for biology, or Association of Legal Writing Directors for legal studies). [1] X Research source

Citing Photographs in Your Text

• The photographer’s name.
• The date of the photograph.
• The title of the photograph, if there is one.
• The names of any people or places represented in the photograph.
• The original source of the photograph, if it is reproduced or taken from somewhere else.
• The current location of the photograph, if it is in a gallery or archive.

• For example, in APA format, an inline citation would look like this: “The cat is shown carrying a toy mouse in its mouth (Smith, 2013).”
• In MLA format, only the photographer’s name is needed. E.g., “Another image depicts the cat batting a ball of yarn (Smith).”
• If you don’t know the photographer’s name, use a shortened title or description of the work. E.g., (Cat with Mouse, 2013) [2] X Research source

• In the Chicago Manual of Style Format, a footnote citation for a photo should look like this: 27. Harold Rouse, Limestone Statue of an Egyptian Goddess , ca. 1933, photograph, Imaginary Museum of Ancient Art.
• If the photograph has no title, use a brief description in brackets. For example, [Cat Playing with a Toy Mouse].

• Roger Steele, Portrait of My Wife , 1982, black and white photograph, in The Works of Roger Steele , by Bob Smith (New York: Made-Up Books Inc., 2013), pl. 65.
• A photograph cited from the web should include the URL of the page where you found the image. E.g.: Azim Khan Ronnie, Prayer in Action , July 18, 2017, digital color photograph, National Geographic Photo of the Day, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/2017/07/islam-prayers-bangladesh/ .

• For example, in Chicago style, your bibliographic entry should look like this: Steele, Roger. Portrait of My Wife . 1982. Black and white photograph. In The Works of Roger Steele , by Bob Smith, pl. 65. New York: Made-Up Books, Inc., 2013.
• In MLA style: Steele, Roger. Portrait of My Wife . 1982. The Works of Roger Steele . By Bob Smith. New York: Made-Up Books, Inc., 2013. Pl. 65. Print. [3] X Research source
• In APA style: Steele, R. (Photographer). (1982). Portrait of My Wife [photograph]. The Works of Roger Steele . By Bob Smith. New York, NY: Made-Up Books, Inc. Pl. 65.

Reproducing Photographs

• For example, in Chicago Style, the caption underneath a photograph could say: Fig. 1. Reginald Pepper, Still Life with Haddock . 1919, black and white photographic print. The Estate of B. Wooster. From: B. Wooster, Pepper’s Pictures . London: Faux Publications, 1932. Pl. 275. [5] X Research source

• Fig. 1. Reginald Pepper, Still Life with Haddock . 1919, black and white photographic print. The Estate of B. Wooster. From: B. Wooster, Pepper’s Pictures . London: Faux Publications, 1932. Pl. 275. Copyright 1932 by the Estate of B. Wooster. Reprinted with permission.
• Some sources (for example, online museum databases or photographic archives) may provide blanket permission to reproduce their images for certain types of uses. Check your source for terms and conditions and detailed information on how to credit their images. [7] X Research source

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://subjectguides.library.american.edu/c.php?g=175008&p=1154150
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/
• ↑ http://www.bibme.org/citation-guide/mla/photograph/
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/2/
• ↑ https://sites.google.com/a/colgate.edu/colgatevr/citing-images/citing-images-chicago
• ↑ https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2016/01/navigating-copyright-part-4.html
• ↑ http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/policies-and-documents/image-resources

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Image Use & Citation

Asa image citation.

• Creative Commons
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• Copyright & Fair Use
• MLA 9th ed. Artwork & Image Citation
• Chicago Image & Artwork Citation
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Image from an online source with no creator listed:

"Title of Image." Date created. From Site Title . Retrieved date (URL) .

"Vienna, Austria Unknown Artist." 22 March 2015. Reddit . Retrieved 17 October 2018 (https://www.reddit.com/r/StreetArtPorn/duplicates/2zvt2d/vienna_austria_unknown_artist_found_exploring/)

Image from a print source with a creator listed:

Creator, First M. Date created. "Title of Image." In [Continue the remainder of the citation with citation information of the book or article as appropriate.]

Dürer, Albrect. 1497-98. "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." In [Stockstad, Marilyn. 1995. Art History. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.]

ASA Photograph Citation Format

Format : Author. year. "Title of work." Medium (format). Title of collection. Retrieved date (URL).

Faulkner, Rob. 2011. "A yawning alpaca." Image (JPEG). Yawn_A Yawning Alpaca. Retrieved 17 October 2018 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/robef/5688248840/in/photostream/).

http://libguides.dixie.edu/c.php?g=57887&p=3052732

• << Previous: APA 7th Ed. Image & Artwork Citation
• Next: Citing Creative Commons >>
• Last Updated: Jul 29, 2024 12:00 PM
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Research Guides

Gould library, how to cite your sources.

• Tools and Handbooks
• Chicago Manual of Style
• Citing Government Documents
• Citing Rare Books
• Citing Archival Material
• Image Credits and Captions

Elements of an Image Caption

Captioning creative commons media, find the original image, resources for learning more about image captions.

• Informal Attribution

The purposes of an image caption are to:

• Give credit to the creator
• Provide basic identification or description of the image
• Clarify the permissions or rights under which you are using the image

Due diligence

Before you decide to use the image, make sure you have done the following:

• Know who the creator is. Because other people have not captioned their images well does not give you license to do so as well. Dig to find who created the image.
• Dig to find the original. It is easy to discover images on social media, but usually those images were originally posted elsewhere. Do not settle for the most convenient location. Look for the most stable and authoritative original version. See the resources on this page for help.
• Determine whether you have the right to redistribute the image in this way. Remember that fair use does not extend to redistribution outside the classroom. If the image is copyrighted, ask for permission. If the image is license free, make sure. If the image is yours, say so. If the image is CC-licensed, you have less to worry about. 

Provide the following elements in this order:

• The phrase "Image source" or "Source"
• Author/Creator
• URL where accessed
• "Used with permission" - in the case of a copyrighted image where you have contacted the creator
• Text of the Creative Commons license - copy the language directly (ex. CC BY-SA, or CC BY 4.0 DEED Attribution 4.0 International, etc.)
• "Public domain" - when you have determined the image is not under copyright or licensed
• "Original photo" or "Author photo" - when you are the creator of the image
• **If the image is Copyrighted or Licensed, you can't reuse it on a public website or document without author permission.

The adorable face of a hedgehog. Image source: Mark Fletcher, "Hedgehog," 2009. Accessed via https://www.flickr.com/photos/fletchthemonkey/3807893972. CC BY-NC 2.0.

Remember...

The practice of image caption formatting changes depending on context. Different kinds of publications require more and less documentation. Different disciplines also vary. The elements listed above are suggestions based on the most common elements necessary to describe an image, make it possible to find again, and clarify why you get to share it. Take additional cues from good examples in the context where you are publishing. Finally, be responsible. Someone put work into the production of this image and they deserve credit. 

• Chicago Manual of Style: Caption formatting. 3.30: Placement of credit lines. How to format a caption that has content and a citation in it.
• Captioning Creative Commons Images and Media When you caption Creative Commons media (including images), you should include 4 major parts (TASL). You may need to modify the order or add more information based on the citation style you are using. Title : What is the name of the work? Author : Who allows you to use the work? Source : Where can people find the work? License : How can you use the work?

"Creative Commons 10th Birthday Celebration San Francisco" by  Timothy Vollmer  is licensed under  CC BY 4.0

• TinEye Reverse Image Search Find all the other places online where this image has been posted. Great way to find the original source.
• Jeffrey Friedl's Image Metadata Viewer This tool shows you all the metadata hidden in an image file, which might help you determine date of creation as well as basic attributes.
• Google Images - Search by Image Click the camera icon in the search box and search by the image you have in hand (either by URL or by dragging in). Like TinEye, it finds other places online where the image has been posted.

Check the source's "Terms of Use," Image Credits," or "Image Permissions" section to make sure you know whether the image is under license or copyright or other terms of use.

• Adding Photo Credits to Talk Slides (blog post) A helpful overview of writing image captions for presentations with many good tips. By Colin Purrington, photographer and former professor at Swarthmore.
• Harder to Find Than Nemo: The Elusive Image Citation Standard (journal article) An article about the inconsistencies in the current standards for citing and captioning images. By Jennifer Yao Weinraub.
• << Previous: Citing Archival Material
• Next: Informal Attribution >>
• Last Updated: Aug 21, 2024 4:27 PM
• URL: https://gouldguides.carleton.edu/citation

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Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide

Chicago-style source citations come in two varieties: (1) notes and bibliography and (2) author-date. If you already know which system to use, follow one of the links above to see sample citations for a variety of common sources. If you are unsure about which system to use, or how the two systems are related, read on.

Notes and Bibliography or Author-Date?

In the notes and bibliography system, sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes. Each note corresponds to a raised (superscript) number in the text. Sources are also usually listed in a separate bibliography. The notes and bibliography system, Chicago’s oldest and most flexible, can accommodate a wide variety of sources, including unusual ones that don’t fit neatly into the author-date system. For this reason, it is preferred by many working in the humanities, including literature, history, and the arts.

In the author-date system, sources are briefly cited in the text, usually in parentheses, by author’s last name and year of publication. Each in-text citation matches up with an entry in a reference list, where full bibliographic information is provided. Because it credits researchers by name directly in the text while at the same time emphasizing the date of each source, the author-date system is preferred by many in the sciences and social sciences.

Aside from the use of numbered notes versus parenthetical references in the text, the two systems share the same style for authors’ names, titles of works, and other cited components. Follow the links at the top of this page to see examples of some of the more common source types cited in both systems.

Most authors choose the system used by others in their field or required by their publisher. Students should check with their instructor before deciding which system to use.

For a more comprehensive overview of Chicago’s two systems of source citation, see chapter 13 of The Chicago Manual of Style . For many more examples organized by type of source, consult chapter 14 .

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MLA Works Cited: Other Common Sources

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Several sources have multiple means for citation, especially those that appear in varied formats: films, DVDs, television shows, music, published and unpublished interviews, interviews over e-mail, published and unpublished conference proceedings. The following section discusses these sorts of citations as well as others not covered in the print, periodical, and electronic sources sections.

Use the following format for all sources:

Author. Title. Title of container (self contained if book), Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs URL or DOI). 2 nd container’s title, Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).

An Interview

Interviews typically fall into two categories: print or broadcast published and unpublished (personal) interviews, although interviews may also appear in other, similar formats such as in e-mail format or as a Web document.

Personal Interviews

Personal interviews refer to those interviews that you conduct yourself. List the interview by the name of the interviewee. Include the descriptor Personal interview and the date of the interview.

Smith, Jane. Personal interview. 19 May 2014.

Published Interviews (Print or Broadcast)

List the interview by the full name of the interviewee. If the name of the interview is part of a larger work like a book, a television program, or a film series, place the title of the interview in quotation marks and place the title of the larger work in italics. If the interview appears as an independent title, italicize it. For books, include the author or editor name after the book title.

Note: If the interview from which you quote does not feature a title, add the descriptor, Interview by (unformatted) after the interviewee’s name and before the interviewer’s name.

Gaitskill, Mary. Interview with Charles Bock. Mississippi Review , vol. 27, no. 3, 1999, pp. 129-50.

Amis, Kingsley. “Mimic and Moralist.” Interviews with Britain’s Angry Young Men , By Dale Salwak, Borgo P, 1984.

Online-only Published Interviews

List the interview by the name of the interviewee. If the interview has a title, place it in quotation marks. Cite the remainder of the entry as you would other exclusive web content. Place the name of the website in italics, give the publisher name (or sponsor), the publication date, and the URL.

Note: If the interview from which you quote does not feature a title, add the descriptor Interview by (unformatted) after the interviewee’s name and before the interviewer’s name.

Zinkievich, Craig. Interview by Gareth Von Kallenbach. Skewed & Reviewed , 27 Apr. 2009, www.arcgames.com/en/games/star-trek-online/news/detail/1056940-skewed-%2526-reviewed-interviews-craig. Accessed 15 May 2009.

Speeches, Lectures, or Other Oral Presentations (including Conference Presentations)

Start with speaker’s name. Then, give the title of the speech (if any) in quotation marks. Follow with the title of the particular conference or meeting and then the name of the organization. Name the venue and its city (if the name of the city is not listed in the venue’s name). Use the descriptor that appropriately expresses the type of presentation (e.g., Address, Lecture, Reading, Keynote Speech, Guest Lecture, Conference Presentation).

Stein, Bob. “Reading and Writing in the Digital Era.” Discovering Digital Dimensions, Computers and Writing Conference, 23 May 2003, Union Club Hotel, West Lafayette, IN. Keynote Address.

Panel Discussions and Question-and-Answer Sessions

The MLA Handbook makes a distinction between the formal, rehearsed portion of a presentation and the informal discussion that often occurs after. To format an entry for a panel discussion or question-and-answer session, treat the panel members or speakers as authors by listing them first. If these people are formally listed as panelists, indicate this by following their names with a comma and the title "panelist(s)." Follow with the title of the discussion, or, if there is no title, a simple description. In the latter case, don't capitalize the description. Follow this with the title of the conference or event. End with the date and the location.

Bavis, Jim and Stein, Tammi, panelists. Panel discussion. Dawn or Doom Conference, 4 Nov. 2018, Stewart Hall, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.

Treat recorded discussions as instances of the appropriate medium (e.g., if you want to cite a recording of a panel discussion hosted on YouTube, cite it the same way you would cite an ordinary online video ).

Published Conference Proceedings

Cite published conference proceedings like a book. If the date and location of the conference are not part of the published title, add this information after the published proceedings title.

Last Name, First Name, editor. Conference Title , Conference Date and Location, Publisher, Date of Publication.

To cite a presentation from published conference proceedings, begin with the presenter’s name. Place the name of the presentation in quotation marks. Follow with publication information for the conference proceedings.

Last Name, First Name. “Conference Paper Title.” Conference Title that Includes Conference Date and Location , edited by Conference Editor(s), Publisher, Date of Publication.

A Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph

Provide the artist's name, the title of the artwork in italics, and the date of composition. Finally, provide the name of the institution that houses the artwork followed by the location of the institution (if the location is not listed in the name of the institution, e.g. The Art Institute of Chicago).

Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV . 1800, Museo del Prado, Madrid.

If the medium and/or materials (e.g., oil on canvas) are important to the reference, you can include this information at the end of the entry. However, it is not required.

For photographic reproductions of artwork (e.g. images of artwork in a book), treat the book or website as a container. Remember that for a second container, the title is listed first, before the contributors. Cite the bibliographic information as above followed by the information for the source in which the photograph appears, including page or reference numbers (plate, figure, etc.).

Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV . 1800, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Gardener's Art Through the Ages , 10 th ed., by Richard G. Tansey and Fred S. Kleiner, Harcourt Brace, p. 939.

If you viewed the artwork on the museum's website, treat the name of the website as the container and include the website's publisher and the URL at the end of the citation. Omit publisher information if it is the same as the name of the website. Note the period after the date below, rather than the comma: this is because the date refers to the painting's original creation, rather than to its publication on the website. Thus, MLA format considers it an "optional element."

Goya, Francisco.  The Family of Charles IV . 1800 . Museo del Prado,  museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-family-of-carlos-iv/f47898fc-aa1c-48f6-a779-71759e417e74.

A Song or Album

Music can be cited multiple ways. Mainly, this depends on the container that you accessed the music from. Generally, citations begin with the artist name. They might also be listed by composers or performers. Otherwise, list composer and performer information after the album title. Put individual song titles in quotation marks. Album names are italicized. Provide the name of the recording manufacturer followed by the publication date.

If information such as record label or name of album is unavailable from your source, do not list that information.

Morris, Rae. “Skin.” Cold, Atlantic Records, 2014. Spotify , open.spotify.com/track/0OPES3Tw5r86O6fudK8gxi.

Online Album

Beyoncé. “Pray You Catch Me.” Lemonade, Parkwood Entertainment, 2016, www.beyonce.com/album/lemonade-visual-album/.

Nirvana. "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Nevermind , Geffen, 1991.

Films or Movies

List films by their title. Include the name of the director, the film studio or distributor, and the release year. If relevant, list performer names after the director's name.

Speed Racer . Directed by Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski, performances by Emile Hirsch, Nicholas Elia, Susan Sarandon, Ariel Winter, and John Goodman, Warner Brothers, 2008.

To emphasize specific performers or directors, begin the citation with the name of the desired performer or director, followed by the appropriate title for that person.

Lucas, George, director. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope . Twentieth Century Fox, 1977.

Television Shows

Recorded Television Episodes

Cite recorded television episodes like films (see above). Begin with the episode name in quotation marks. Follow with the series name in italics. When the title of the collection of recordings is different than the original series (e.g., the show Friends is in DVD release under the title Friends: The Complete Sixth Season), list the title that would help researchers to locate the recording. Give the distributor name followed by the date of distribution.

"The One Where Chandler Can't Cry." Friends: The Complete Sixth Season , written by Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen, directed by Kevin Bright, Warner Brothers, 2004.

Broadcast TV or Radio Program

Begin with the title of the episode in quotation marks. Provide the name of the series or program in italics. Also include the network name, call letters of the station followed by the date of broadcast and city.

"The Blessing Way." The X-Files . Fox, WXIA, Atlanta, 19 Jul. 1998.

Netflix, Hulu, Google Play

Generally, when citing a specific episode, follow the format below.

“94 Meetings.” Parks and Recreation, season 2, episode 21, NBC, 29 Apr. 2010. Netflix, www.netflix.com/watch/70152031.

An Entire TV Series

When citing the entire series of a TV show, use the following format.

Daniels, Greg and Michael Schur, creators. Parks and Recreation . Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, 2015.

A Specific Performance or Aspect of a TV Show

If you want to emphasize a particular aspect of the show, include that particular information. For instance, if you are writing about a specific character during a certain episode, include the performer’s name as well as the creator’s.

“94 Meetings.” Parks and Recreation, created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, performance by Amy Poehler, season 2, episode 21, Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, 2010.

If you wish to emphasize a particular character throughout the show’s run time, follow this format.

Poehler, Amy, performer. Parks and Recreation. Deedle-Dee Productions and Universal Media Studios, 2009-2015.

Begin with the title of the episode in quotation marks. Provide the name of the series in italics. Then follow with MLA format per usual.

“Best of Not My Job Musicians.” Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! from NPR, 4 June 2016, www.npr.org/podcasts/344098539/wait-wait-don-t-tell-me.

Spoken-Word Albums such as Comedy Albums

Treat spoken-word albums the same as musical albums.

Hedberg, Mitch. Strategic Grill Locations . Comedy Central, 2003.

Digital Files (PDFs, MP3s, JPEGs)

Determine the type of work to cite (e.g., article, image, sound recording) and cite appropriately. End the entry with the name of the digital format (e.g., PDF, JPEG file, Microsoft Word file, MP3). If the work does not follow traditional parameters for citation, give the author’s name, the name of the work, the date of creation, and the location.

Beethoven, Ludwig van. Moonlight Sonata . Crownstar, 2006.

Smith, George. “Pax Americana: Strife in a Time of Peace.” 2005. Microsoft Word file.

Council of Writing Program Administrators, National Council of Teachers of English, and National Writing Project. Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing . CWPA, NCTE, and NWP, 2011, wpacouncil.org/files/framework-for-success-postsecondary-writing.pdf.

Bentley, Phyllis. “Yorkshire and the Novelist.” The Kenyon Review , vol. 30, no. 4, 1968, pp. 509-22. JSTOR , www.jstor.org.iii/stable/4334841.

How to Cite Google Images

Create citations for free.

Website Book Journal Image

They say a picture tells a thousand words—so photographs can serve an important purpose in essays or presentations you’re working on. Google Images, which contains images from thousands of websites at the click of a button, is one of the easiest places to find photos on the Internet. So knowing how to cite an image found on Google Images is pretty helpful.

While you might know how to cite a thousand-word-long journal article, citing an image might seem more difficult, especially if you’ve obtained that image from an online source. Luckily, citing a picture you’ve found on Google Images isn’t all that different from citing a website you found after doing a quick Google search.

Say you’re working on a biographical paper or PowerPoint presentation about President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and you want your title page or opening slide to contain a photograph of the former president, who has the distinction of being the only president to serve more than two terms throughout much of World War II, and who led the country out of the Great Depression.

Google Images has you covered on the picture—the site has pages and pages of images, including this neat one of FDR sitting at his desk in the Oval Office—and if you want to cite the photo in MLA format , APA format , or Chicago style, we’ve got you covered on that.

Copyright Considerations

Before continuing, you should understand that many of the images found through Google and other search engines are copyright protected. This means that you are not allowed to make money from the use of these images. For example, it is illegal to make and sell t-shirts that display this image of Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, according to Chapter 1, Section 107, of the Copyright Law , you are allowed to use images for research and classroom purposes.

Information Needed for the Citation

After finding the image that you’d like to use, to the right of the image, click the button that says, “Visit page.” This is where you’ll find the information you need to cite the image.

Here’s the specific information you’ll need to locate when citing an image you found on Google Images:

• Full name of the image’s creator, such as the name of the photographer or illustrator (if available)
• Formal title of the image (if available) or a description of the image
• Name of the website where the image lives (Do not use Google as the name of the website!)
• Publisher of the website where the image was found on
• Date this information was published on their site

*Please note that if putting these citations in a printed paper, the lines should be double-spaced and indented.

How to cite an image from Google Images in MLA 9:  

Last name, First name of creator. “Title” or description of the image. Title of the Website , Publisher, Date of publication, URL or DOI.

• In MLA, if the image has a title, place it in quotation marks and use title case: capitalize the first letter of each important word and pronoun. If the image does not have an official title, create a simple description and use sentence case: only capitalize the first letter in the description and the first letter of any pronoun.
• Only include the name of the publisher if it is different than the name of the author and title of the site.
• For URLs or DOIs, copy them exactly as shown in the address bar or link from your browser.

How to cite the example image in MLA 9:

Photograph of Franklin D. Roosevelt at his desk. The Washington Post , 25 Apr. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/04/25/the-white-house-boo-boo-in-counting-roosevelts-executive-orders/?utm_term=.06cac0ac12e5.

If you need help with in-text and parenthetical citations, CitationMachine.net, can help. Our MLA citation generator is simple and easy to use!

How to cite an image from Google Images in APA:

Image creator’s Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year published). Title of image [Photograph, Cartoon, Painting, etc.]. Website Name. URL.

The reference list entry for the image consists of its author, year of publication, title, description in brackets, and source (usually the name of the website and the URL).

• In APA, if the image does not have a formal title, describe the image and place the description in brackets.
• In APA, do not place a period at the end of the URL

  How to cite the example image in APA:

US National Trust. (2017). Franklin D. Roosevelt at his desk [Photograph] . Google Images. https://www.google.com/images/the-white-house-boo-boo-in-counting-roosevelts-executive-orders/?utm_term=.06cac0ac12e5

How to cite an image from Google Images in Chicago:

Last name, First name Middle initial of creator of image. “Title of image” or Description. Digital Image. Title of Website. Month Day, Year Published. Accessed date. URL.

• If the image does not have an official title, create a description. Do not place the description in quotation marks.
• Only include the date the image was accessed if there is no publication date!

How to cite the example image in Chicago:

Franklin D. Roosevelt at his desk. Digital Image. The Washington Post. April 25, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/04/25/the-white-house-boo-boo-in-counting-roosevelts-executive-orders/?utm_term=.8d30c188c74c.

Works Cited

  “Chapter 1: Subject Matter and Scope of Copyright.” Copyright Law of the United States , p. 19, www.copyright.gov/title17/chapter1.pdf.

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Google Images is an aggregator or search engine for images. It is not a repository of images by itself. Since Google Images is not the original source for the images found there, you cannot cite or mention “Google Images” as the source of your images.

Instead of citing “Google Images,” you must cite the original source of the image. For any image found from Google Images, find the original source of the image by clicking the “Visit page” button. Then, the image should be cited using the following details (if available) as per your class style (APA, MLA, or Chicago):

• Full name of the image’s original creator
• Formal name of the image or description of the image
• Original website source (not Google Images)
• Website’s publisher
• Date of publication of the image

It is easy to search for relevant images using an online search engine like Google Images, but the issue of copyright has to be addressed when using images found online.

Most images are copyright protected. Copyrighted images belong to the original illustrator, agency, or organization that designed and created them. You cannot use these images for your business needs without the permission of the creator. However, you can use these images for your research and class needs, as long you provide a citation to the source of these images.

Cite the original source of the image (not “Google Images”) per your class style (APA, MLA, or Chicago) using the below details:

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How to cite self-created images or pictures in thesis

When we put some images in a thesis, we provide a reference to its source where it’s located. If I have created my own images or pictures, how do I make it clear that they are my images and I did not copy and paste them from somewhere?.

So here is the scenario. I am comparing my application architecture with the existing architecture. Since it was a literature study, my architecture is quite different except for one or two components that share the idea with the other one. I am showing both architectures. I explicitly mention the source of the other. But what about my own?

Is there a need to cite self-created images? If yes then how to cite them?

• writing-style

3 Answers 3

Have a look at the relevant guidelines/rules at your university/department.

Where I am, one typically signs that everything that is not your work or that is not novel is cited. Novelty in the thesis context is defined as "has not been used in any other exam/thesis". Papers published as part of the thesis work do not hamper thesis-relevant novelty at "my" university . But since it is up to the unviersity (or even faculty) to decide their exam rules, you may be subject to different rules.

In addition, copyright plays a role. You may be author without having the copyright. The holder/owner of the copyright can allow you to re-use images but stipulate certain ways of citing.

Anything (images, diagrams, tables, text) you created for the current thesis (so they are novel according to the thesis rules ) and where you hold the copyright (so no rules binding to use particular citation forms) are not cited. If there is no citation, you claim it's yours and novel for this thesis - and thus that it should be included in the content based on which your work is judged by the thesis committee.

In my case, I needed to cite my own work only if/when:

I wanted to reuse an image/diagram that I used already for an earlier thesis or exam, e.g. had I wanted a diagram from my Master thesis to re-appear in my PhD thesis. In that case, I'd have cited my Master thesis like unrelated work. Unrelated since this is not part of the work the committee should judge.

I transfered copyright for several papers I authored to the respective publishers. They typically did allow re-use in theses but prescribed citation sentences like e.g. "This image is reused from [CB3] with kind permission of $publisher ." [CB3] would be how I cited e.g. the third paper I wrote as part of PhD current thesis. Had I retained copyright (non-exclusive license to the publisher), I wouldn't have need to cite this way. Nevertheless, I'd still think it advisable to tell the reader that this diagram can also be found in that paper - it saves people from trying to find out whether the paper contains anything in addition to what the thesis contains. Similarly, I could have used [3], i.e. there was no requirement to make the citiations of my papers for the thesis immediately distinguishable from other citations, but I thought it a good idea to provide such a distincition - e.g. because it makes it clear to the committee that this is part of what they judge as my thesis.

For your scenario of diagrams illustrating some application architecture described in some paper:

if the diagram for the existing one is directly taken from the paper, you apply for a license to re-use that image with the publisher and then do whatever they stipulate in this license.

if you draw your own diagram (in your architecture diagram "language"/style) from the description in the paper, you cite the idea/description, e.g. "diagram of architecture described in [27]" but the diagram itself is your own work , and novel and original part of your thesis.

With "your own diagram" I mean e.g. situations like: They have some diagram in the paper. But their way of illustrating isn't really suitable for your thesis since you need to highlight/contrast aspects that are similar to|differ from the architecture you developed. You therefore make a new graph that describes their architecture in another language/style that allows to depict their architecture as well as your architecture.

Your diagram of your architecture is original and novel work that is part of your thesis. No citation here, unless you signed away the copyright for this diagram - in which case you need a license by the new copyright owner (= journal publisher). In which case you do whatever the license says you should do.

• really helpful. I just wanted to avoid any ambiguity about the components. we are both using the same component because we have to. Its the component provided by the technology to use however we can. I just wanted to avoid that I stole the idea just because the name of the components are the same and function in the same way. but that's their job to provide this functionality –  Jonny_G Commented Aug 19, 2020 at 18:45

There is no need to cite self-created, previously-unpublished images any more than you need to cite self-written, previously unpublished words. By absence of a citation you are claiming the work as your own.

Since this is for a thesis, you should probably check with your advisor / supervisor to be absolutely certain they share that view.

• 7 You may be asked to document the sources of figures in your thesis as part of the process of submitting to ProQuest or other repositories. If that happens, just state that you created these images yourself. –  Brian Borchers Commented Aug 19, 2020 at 15:35

Cite your own work just like you'd cite someone else's. Without citation you're suggesting originality.

A reader knows when an author cites their own work. The author of both works are the same (or overlapping). There's no need to be explicit (by stating, for instance, in my earlier work ), unless it is useful.

For works derived from a thesis (as opposed to published works), there isn't an explicit need to self-cite, since works derived from a thesis are considered original, they haven't been published before. That said, you might want to mention something along the lines of: My thesis contains a preliminary version of this work, or similar. (You'll need to adapt slightly when you aren't the sole author.)

• 2 kindly check my updated question to understand the scenario –  Jonny_G Commented Aug 19, 2020 at 13:36
• Aren't the first two sentences in direct contradiction? You say to "cite your own work". Then you say "A reader knows when an author cites their own work [...] there's no need to be explicit", which I take to mean, "you don't need to cite your own work." –  user91988 Commented Aug 20, 2020 at 14:25
• @user91988 you don't need to cite your own work isn't my reading, my edit clarifies. –  user2768 Commented Aug 20, 2020 at 14:47

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Library FAQs

How do i cite an image.

How do I cite a chart? How do I add a graph to my paper? Can I add a figure with SWS? Are tables allowed in SWS?

The first time you refer to a chart, graph, or other item in your writing, you should include a copy of it. Center it horizontally on the page. Be sure to include why it is necessary and how it is connected to the point you are making. As with any source, be sure to create a source list entry and include an in-text citation.

The sample paper, available on the page linked below, has an example of using a chart within writing.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / Chicago Style / How to Cite a Photo in Chicago/Turabian

How to Cite a Photo in Chicago/Turabian

When writing a paper, you may need to cite a photograph either in its original form or from a book or website. This guide will show you how to create notes-bibliography style citations for different kinds of photographs using the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style .

Guide Overview

• Cite an original photograph
• Cite a photograph in print
• Cite a photograph via website
• Cite a photograph via database
• Cite a digital image
• Cite a personal photograph

How to Cite an Original Photograph

Chicago style photograph citation structure:.

1. Photographer First Name Last Name, Photograph Title, Month Date, Year created, medium, size (if available), Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if not in museum/institution name).

Bibliography:

Photographer Last Name, First Name. Photograph Title . Month Date, Year created. Medium, size (if available). Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if not in museum/institution name).

Chicago Style Photograph Citation Example:

1. Henri Cartier-Bresson, Juvisy, France, 1938, photograph, Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Cartier-Bresson, Henri. Juvisy, France . 1938. Photograph. Museum of Modern Art, New York.

How to Cite a Photograph in Print

1. Photographer First Name Last Name, Photograph Title, Month Date, Year created, medium, Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if applicable), in Book Title , by Author First Name Last Name (if different from photographer) (Publisher Location: Publisher, year published), page number.

Photographer Last Name, First Name. Photograph Title . Month Date, Year created. Medium. Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if applicable). In Book Title , by Author First Name Last Name (if different from photographer), page number. Publisher Location: Publisher, year published.

Front Cover

1. Peter Bennett, Antique Shop, East Village, photograph, in New York City: A Photographic Portrait (Rockport: Twin Lights, 2007), 21.

Bennett, Peter. Antique Shop, East Village . Photograph. In New York City: A Photographic Portrait , 21. Rockport: Twin Lights, 2007.

How to Cite a Photograph via Website

Chicago style online photograph citation structure:.

1. Photographer First Name Last Name, Photograph Title, Month Date, Year created, medium, size (if available), Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if not in museum/institution name), URL.

Photographer Last Name, First Name. Photograph Title . Month Date, Year created. Medium, size (if available). Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if not in museum/institution name). URL.

Chicago Style Online Photograph Citation Example:

1. Henri Cartier-Bresson, Juvisy, France, 1938, photograph, Museum of Modern Art, New York, https://www.moma.org/collection/works/49983.

Cartier-Bresson, Henri. Juvisy, France . 1938. Photograph. Museum of Modern Art, New York. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/49983.

You can find more information on citing sources found online in our guide on citing websites in Chicago .

How to Cite a Photograph via Database

1. Photographer First Name Last Name, Photograph Title, Month Date, Year created, medium, size (if available), Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if not in museum/institution name), URL or Database Name.

Photographer Last Name, First Name. Photograph Title . Month Date, Year created. Medium, size (if available). Collection, Museum/Institution, Location (if not in museum/institution name). URL or Database Name.

*URL Note: Only include if URL is stable. If a stable URL is not available, use the database name instead.

1. Leonard Freed, Holidaymakers Stuck in Traffic Jam, 1965, photograph, ARTstor.

Freed, Leonard. Holidaymakers Stuck in Traffic Jam . 1965. Photograph. ARTstor.

How to Cite a Digital Image

Chicago style digital image citation structure:.

1. Photographer First Name Last Name, “Title of Image,” digital image, Website Title, Month Day, Year published, accessed Month Day, Year (if no publication date), URL.

Photographer Last Name, First Name. “Title of Image.” Digital image. Website Title, Month Day, Year published. Accessed Month Day, Year (if no publication date). URL.

*Title Note: If none, include description of image in this field instead.

Website of Image

Chicago Style Digital Image Citation Example:

1. “Guggenheim Museum in Spain,” digital image, HowStuffWorks, accessed July 22, 2010, https://www.howstuffworks.com.

“Guggenheim Museum in Spain.” Digital image. HowStuffWorks. Accessed July 22, 2010. https://www.howstuffworks.com.

How to Cite a Personal Photograph

The  Chicago Manual of Style does not include specific guidance on how to cite personal photographs. Like most photographs and other forms of personal communications, these citations are often just included in the text or in a note, rather than included in the bibliography. However, if your instructor asks for the citation to be included in your bibliography and in your footnotes, the below templates and examples may be helpful resources.

Chicago Style Personal Photograph Citation Structure:

1. Photographer First Name Last Name, personal photograph, “Description of Image” (optional), Month Day, Year created.

Photographer Last Name, First Name. Personal photograph.”Description of Image” (optional). Month Day, Year created.

Description of Image:  Note that the optional image description should be included in quotation marks rather than italics, since personal photographs are unpublished.

Chicago Style Personal Photograph Citation Example:

1. Sydney Malone, personal photograph, “Times Square at Sunset,” July 8, 2021.

Malone, Sydney. Personal photograph. “Times Square at Sunset.” July 8, 2021.

Note:  If you are citing a personal photograph from a social media account, use the citation formatting for a social media post instead.

Chicago Formatting Guide

Chicago Formatting

• Book Chapter
• Conference Paper
• Musical Recording

Citation Examples

• Thesis or Dissertation
• Encyclopedia
• Sheet Music
• YouTube Video

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How to Cite in APA Format (7th edition): Citation Style Guide

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What is APA 7th Edition ?    

The American Psychological Association (APA) introduced the latest edition of the APA Style Manual (i.e., APA 7 th edition ) in 2019. APA Style has its origins in 1929 , when a group of academics and professionals decided to develop a set of guidelines that would standardize scientific writing. The earliest form was a seven-page guide published in the Psychological Bulletin . The first formal edition of the APA Publication Manual was published in 1952, with subsequent editions appearing in 1974, 1983, 1994, 2001, 2009, and most recently, in 2019.  

Over the years, the APA style guide has evolved considerably to meet the changing needs of a wide range of disciplines, from social and behavioral sciences to health care, natural sciences, and humanities. APA Style is widely used by academic journals and books.  

As APA 7 th edition is the current and most updated version, students and researchers should familiarize themselves with the style guidelines, including the reference and citation styles.  

Who Should Use APA 7th Edition ?    

The aim of style guides such as the APA Style Guide is to simplify the work of editors and make it easier for readers to understand a text by ensuring a uniform format for a given publication. For example, the APA Style Guide will contain guidelines that lay down the APA reference format and APA style citation for authors to follow.  

The APA Style Guide can be a valuable reference when writing and formatting academic papers, irrespective of discipline. However, this style is primarily used by professionals, researchers, and students in the social sciences (e.g., sociology, psychology, anthropology), behavioral sciences, education, business, and nursing.  

If you are a student, you may consult with an instructor to check what style your discipline uses before using APA Style in your work. Most importantly, be sure to check the guidelines of your university or the journal you plan to publish in to ensure APA 7 th edition is the correct style to use.   

APA In-text Citations    

Researchers rely on citations and references to give credit to original sources, support their arguments, and guide readers to additional information for further study. Let us now look at how to cite sources in APA format. The formatting requirements of APA 7th edition citation for referring to secondary sources in your text are as follows.  

The APA citation format includes the author’s last name and the year of publication. When referring to a particular part of a source, the page number may be included, e.g., “(Rawat et al., 2018, p. 115).”  

APA style citation in the text may be parenthetical or narrative.  

In parenthetical citation, the author’s name and the year of publication are placed in parentheses within the text. This style is used at the end of a sentence. See below for an example:  

• Gender, age, education, and income determine a person’s risk and adaptive capacities (Birkmann et al., 2022).  

In narrative citation, the author’s name appears as a part of the sentence, followed by the publication year in parentheses. See below for an example:  

• Birkman et al. (2022) note that gender, age, education, and income determine a person’s risk and adaptive capacities.

Table 1: How to cite sources in APA format when there are multiple authors and organizations as authors  

*First time with an abbreviation: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2016); all subsequent citations: (WHO, 2016)  

Table 2: How to cite sources in APA format when some information is missing  

  APA Reference Format    

After APA citations , let us now look at the APA reference format. As an academic, you might use a wide array of source types. According to the APA style guide , each type is formatted in a certain manner. The most commonly used sources are journal articles, books, and dissertations. However, you occasionally might need to cite webpages, podcasts, and news article. How would all these appear in an APA 7 reference page ? You will find your answers in Table 3!  

Table 3: How to format various sources in the APA reference list  

Formatting the APA Paper    

Papers formatted according to APA 7th edition typically contain the following elements:  

Title page with the title (bold, centered), running head and page number in the header, author names and affiliations, and author notes (ORCID ID, conflicts of interest, etc.); see below:  

Next comes the abstract . It should be double spaced and use consistent font. The keywords appear below the abstract, with an indent.  

For the main text, margins are 1 inch on all four side s. T he text is double spaced . T he font used should be consistent . H eadings are used to separate sections , and d etails on heading levels are as follows:  

Source: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/headings

Finally, the APA 7 reference page contains the references to all sources used in the paper. References are double-spaced and use hanging indents :  

Style guides in academic writing serve to standardize formatting, citations, and language use across scholarly works. They provide readers with cues they can use to follow the text more efficiently and to locate information of interest to them. In other words, it avoids distraction of unfamiliar or non-uniform formatting.  

In this piece about APA 7th edition , we have explained in detail the nuances of APA citations , including how to cite in APA format and how to format the APA 7 reference page . A brief primer on formatting a manuscript in line with APA 7th edition is also provided.  

Frequently Asked Questions    

• What are the major changes from APA 6th to APA 7th Edition ?  

The updates from APA 6th to APA 7th Edition reflect a commitment to improving clarity, inclusivity, and usability in scholarly writing. The salient differences from APA 6 th edition are as follows:  

• Title page format: The title page has been updated for professionals. The author note includes information such as ORCID IDs and conflict of interest disclosures.
• Running head: The running head format has been simplified for professional authors.
• Font flexibility : There is greater flexibility in font specifications to enhance accessibility.
• Bias-free language guidelines: The guidelines for bias-free language have been updated to promote inclusivity and respect when writing about various identities.  
• Reference formatting: In APA 7th edition , the number of authors included in a reference entry has changed to allow up to 20 authors before using an ellipsis. The presentation of DOIs and URLs has been standardized.  
• In-text citations: In-text citations for works with three or more authors have been simplified to include only the first author’s name followed by “et al.”
• Accessibility: APA 7th edition emphasizes accessibility for users with disabilities, ensuring that guidelines support various modalities, including screen readers.  
• How do I cite a journal article in APA 7th Edition ?  

According to APA 7 th edition , a reference would appear as below:  

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, volume number (issue number), pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy .  

The in-text citation would include the author name(s) and year of publication, e.g., (Andriolatou, 2007).   

• How should multiple authors be cited in APA 7th Edition?  

APA 7 citation style would vary depending on the number of authors and whether you are citing the source parenthetically or narratively:  

Single author, parenthetical: (Bik, 2020)  

Single author, narrative: Bik (2020) reported that…  

Two authors, parenthetical: (Bik & Urs, 2019)  

Two authors, narrative: As demonstrated by Bik and Urs (2019), …  

Three or more authors, parenthetical: (Bik et al., 2023)  

Three or more authors, narrative: Bik et al. (2023) have published…  

• How do I format in-text citations for a direct quote?  

When someone else’s words are copied verbatim in your paper, it refers to a direct quote.   

For APA 7 citation of short direct quotes (<40 words), use quotation marks around the quote and cite the author, year, and page number:  

Another way to look at it is how people “get a broader range of experience than they would on a feature” (Catmull, 2014, p. 209).  

For APA 7 citation of longer quotes, or block quotes, the sentence preceding the quote ends in a colon and is followed by the quoted text. No quotation marks are used. The quote is indented and cited without a period at the end (see the figure below).   

Figure: How to cite block quotes in APA citations

To conclude  

Over the years, the APA style guide has evolved significantly. The current version, APA 7th edition , has expanded in both scope and size to accommodate the needs of wide-ranging fields and to address changing times. Despite these changes, the core intention—to provide clear, consistent guidelines for effective communication—remains at the heart of APA Style .   

For busy researchers, not only is it difficult to remember the different elements of citations and references and the subtle differences in formatting, but it also a tedious task to manually format in-text citations and reference lists and ensure consistency between them. In addition, you might need to format (and even re-format) your manuscript according to different journals, which might follow styles different from APA 7th edition (MLA, Chicago, AMA, etc.)! But there is no need to worry…help is at hand!

Citation generators are online tools that format references in different styles. There are a number of citation generators available, and Paperpal has launched its new citation generator , which stands out from the others in many ways. As a part of Paperpal’s writing workflow, you can easily find and cite sources accurately in a matter of seconds.

This free citation generator supports the updated recent versions of 10,000+ styles, including APA 7th edition . Therefore, it can serve as an APA 7th edition citation generator if you need one! What’s more, you don’t need to switch between multiple tools to search, save, or format your citations. You can rely Paperpal’s citation generation feature for help with citing sources accurately and consistently in your writing. Explore Paperpal for free now!  

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APA Style for beginners

Then check out some frequently asked questions:

What is APA Style?

Why use apa style in high school, how do i get started with apa style, what apa style products are available, your help wanted.

APA Style is the most common writing style used in college and career. Its purpose is to promote excellence in communication by helping writers create clear, precise, and inclusive sentences with a straightforward scholarly tone. It addresses areas of writing such as how to

• format a paper so it looks professional;
• credit other people’s words and ideas via citations and references to avoid plagiarism; and
• describe other people with dignity and respect using inclusive, bias-free language.

APA Style is primarily used in the behavioral sciences, which are subjects related to people, such as psychology, education, and nursing. It is also used by students in business, engineering, communications, and other classes. Students use it to write academic essays and research papers in high school and college, and professionals use it to conduct, report, and publish scientific research .

High school students need to learn how to write concisely, precisely, and inclusively so that they are best prepared for college and career. Here are some of the reasons educators have chosen APA Style:

• APA Style is the style of choice for the AP Capstone program, the fastest growing AP course, which requires students to conduct and report independent research.
• APA Style helps students craft written responses on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT because it teaches students to use a direct and professional tone while avoiding redundancy and flowery language.
• Most college students choose majors that require APA Style or allow APA Style as an option. It can be overwhelming to learn APA Style all at once during the first years of college; starting APA Style instruction in high school sets students up for success.

High school students may also be interested in the TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students , an annual competition from the APA Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools for high school students to create a short video demonstrating how a psychological topic has the potential to benefit their school and/or local community and improve people’s lives.

Most people are first introduced to APA Style by reading works written in APA Style. The following guides will help with that:

Many people also write research papers or academic essays in APA Style. The following resources will help with that:

Instructors will also benefit from using the following APA Style resources:

In addition to all the free resources on this website, APA publishes several products that provide comprehensive information about APA Style:

The APA Style team is interested in developing additional resources appropriate for a beginner audience. If you have resources you would like to share, or feedback on this topic, please contact the APA Style team . 

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Organizing and Managing Citations

Citation management software can help you manage your research and easily organize and format your citations in a wide variety of citation styles. Check out the links below for more information about these useful programs. 

• Citation Management Basics This guide provides an overview of citation management software options, including basic functions and the differences between the various options available, including EndNote, EndNote Web, and Zotero. Also provided is contact information for Purdue librarians available to provide citation management support for Purdue faculty, students, and staff.
• EndNote at Purdue This guide provides detailed how-to and FAQ for EndNote citation management software, the desktop version.
• EndNote Basic EndNote Basic is an online citation management program that is freely available for all Purdue users. This guide highlights how-to, key functions, and FAQ, as well as differences between the desktop and online versions of this product.
• Zotero Zotero is a free and open, web-based citation management program. This guide provides info on getting started and carrying out key functions, for students and instructors. It also includes video tutorials.

Avoid Plagiarism

• Types of Plagiarism Plagiarism.org presents Plagiarism 101: What is Plagiarism?
• Citing Sources Plagiarism.org's useful guide to everything about citing sources.
• Avoiding Plagiarism Tips on how to summarize, paraphrase, and quote sources without plagiarizing from the Purdue OWL. Use the links on the left to navigate.
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Academic Referencing: How to Cite a Research Paper

Learning how to conduct accurate, discipline-specific academic research can feel daunting at first. But, with a solid understanding of the reasoning behind why we use academic citations coupled with knowledge of the basics, you’ll learn how to cite sources with accuracy and confidence.

When it comes to academic research, citing sources correctly is arguably as important as the research itself. "Your instructors are expecting your work to adhere to these professional standards," said Amanda Girard , research support manager of Shapiro Library at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

With Shapiro Library for the past three years, Girard manages the library’s research support services, which includes SNHU’s 24/7 library chat and email support. She holds an undergraduate degree in professional writing and a graduate degree in library and information science. She said that accurate citations show that you have done your research on a topic and are knowledgeable about current ideas from those actively working in the field.

In other words, when you cite sources according to the academic style of your discipline, you’re giving credit where credit is due.

Why Cite Sources?

Citing sources properly ensures you’re following high academic and professional standards for integrity and ethics.

“When you cite a source, you can ethically use others’ research. If you are not adequately citing the information you claim in your work, it would be considered plagiarism ,” said Shannon Geary '16 , peer tutor at SNHU.

Geary has an undergraduate degree in communication  from SNHU and has served on the academic support team for close to 2 years. Her job includes helping students learn how to conduct research  and write academically.

“In academic writing, it is crucial to state where you are receiving your information from,” she said. “Citing your sources ensures that you are following academic integrity standards.”

According to Geary and Girard, several key reasons for citing sources are:

• Access. Citing sources points readers to original sources. If anyone wants to read more on your topic, they can use your citations as a roadmap to access the original sources.
• Attribution. Crediting the original authors, researchers and experts  shows that you’re knowledgeable about current ideas from those actively working in the field and adhering to high ethical standards, said Girard.
• Clarity. “By citing your sources correctly, your reader can follow along with your research,” Girard said.
• Consistency. Adhering to a citation style provides a framework for presenting ideas within similar academic fields. “Consistent formatting makes accessing, understanding and evaluating an author's findings easier for others in related fields of study,” Geary said.
• Credibility. Proper citation not only builds a writer's authority but also ensures the reliability of the work, according to Geary.

Ultimately, citing sources is a formalized way for you to share ideas as part of a bigger conversation among others in your field. It’s a way to build off of and reference one another’s ideas, Girard said.

How Do You Cite an Academic Research Paper?

Any time you use an original quote or paraphrase someone else’s ideas, you need to cite that material, according to Geary.

“The only time we do not need to cite is when presenting an original thought or general knowledge,” she said.

While the specific format for citing sources can vary based on the style used, several key elements are always included, according to Girard. Those are:

• Title of source
• Type of source, such as a journal, book, website or periodical

By giving credit to the authors, researchers and experts you cite, you’re building credibility. You’re showing that your argument is built on solid research.

“Proper citation not only builds a writer's authority but also ensures the reliability of the work,” Geary said. “Properly formatted citations are a roadmap for instructors and other readers to verify the information we present in our work.”

Common Citation Styles in Academic Research

Certain disciplines adhere to specific citation standards because different disciplines prioritize certain information and research styles . The most common citation styles used in academic research, according to Geary, are:

• American Psychological Association, known as APA . This style is standard in the social sciences such as psychology, education and communication. “In these fields, research happens rapidly, which makes it exceptionally important to use current research,” Geary said.
• Modern Language Association, known as MLA . This style is typically used in literature and humanities because of the emphasis on literature analysis. “When citing in MLA, there is an emphasis on the author and page number, allowing the audience to locate the original text that is being analyzed easily,” Geary said.
• Chicago Manual of Style, known as Chicago . This style is typically used in history, business and sometimes humanities. “(Chicago) offers flexibility because of the use of footnotes, which can be seen as less distracting than an in-text citation,” Geary said.

The benefit of using the same format as other researchers within a discipline is that the framework of presenting ideas allows you to “speak the same language,” according to Girard.

APA Citation for College: A Brief Overview

Are you writing a paper that needs to use APA citation, but don’t know what that means? No worries. You’ve come to the right place.

How to Use MLA Formatting: A Brief Overview

Are you writing a paper for which you need to know how to use MLA formatting, but don’t know what that means? No worries. You’ve come to the right place.

How to Ensure Proper Citations

Keeping track of your research as you go is one of the best ways to ensure you’re citing appropriately and correctly based on the style that your academic discipline uses.

“Through careful citation, authors ensure their audience can distinguish between borrowed material and original thoughts, safeguarding their academic reputation and following academic honesty policies,” Geary said.

Some tips that she and Girard shared to ensure you’re citing sources correctly include:

• Keep track of sources as you work. Writers should keep track of their sources every time an idea is not theirs, according to Geary. “You don’t want to find the perfect research study and misplace its source information, meaning you’d have to omit it from your paper,” she said.
• Practice. Even experienced writers need to check their citations before submitting their work. “Citing requires us to pay close attention to detail, so always start your citation process early and go slow to ensure you don’t make mistakes,” said Geary. In time, citing sources properly becomes faster and easier.
• Use an Online Tool . Geary recommends the Shapiro Library citation guide . You can find sample papers, examples of how to cite in the different academic styles and up-to-date citation requirements, along with information and examples for APA, MLA and Chicago style citations.
• Work with a Tutor. A tutor can offer support along with tips to help you learn the process of academic research. Students at SNHU can connect with free peer tutoring through the Academic Support tab in their online courses, though many colleges and universities offer peer tutoring.

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How to cite a reference in academic writing.

A citation consists of two pieces: an in-text citation that is typically short and a longer list of references or works cited (depending on the style used) at the end of the paper.

“In-text citations immediately acknowledge the use of external source information and its exact location,” Geary said. While each style uses a slightly different format for in-text citations that reference the research, you may expect to need the page number, author’s name and possibly date of publication in parentheses at the end of a sentence or passage, according to Geary.

A longer entry listing the complete details of the resource you referenced should also be included on the references or works cited page at the end of the paper. The full citation is provided with complete details of the source, such as author, title, publication date and more, Geary said.

The two-part aspect of citations is because of readability. “You can imagine how putting the full citation would break up the flow of a paper,” Girard said. “So, a shortened version is used (in the text).”

“For example, if an in-text citation reads (Jones, 2024), the reader immediately knows that the ideas presented are coming from Jones’s work, and they can explore the comprehensive citation on the final page,” she said.

The in-text citation and full citation together provide a transparent trail of the author's process of engaging with research.

“Their combined use also facilitates further research by following a standardized style (APA, MLA, Chicago), guaranteeing that other scholars can easily connect and build upon their work in the future,” Geary said.

Developing and demonstrating your research skills, enhancing your work’s credibility and engaging ethically with the intellectual contributions of others are at the core of the citation process no matter which style you use.

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A former higher education administrator, Dr. Marie Morganelli is a career educator and writer. She has taught and tutored composition, literature, and writing at all levels from middle school through graduate school. With two graduate degrees in English language and literature, her focus — whether teaching or writing — is in helping to raise the voices of others through the power of storytelling. Connect with her on LinkedIn .

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• Citing sources

How to Cite Sources | Citation Generator & Quick Guide

Citing your sources is essential in  academic writing . Whenever you quote or paraphrase a source (such as a book, article, or webpage), you have to include a  citation crediting the original author.

Failing to properly cite your sources counts as plagiarism , since you’re presenting someone else’s ideas as if they were your own.

The most commonly used citation styles are APA and MLA. The free Scribbr Citation Generator is the quickest way to cite sources in these styles. Simply enter the URL, DOI, or title, and we’ll generate an accurate, correctly formatted citation.

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Table of contents

When do you need to cite sources, which citation style should you use, in-text citations, reference lists and bibliographies.

Scribbr Citation Generator

Other useful citation tools

Citation examples and full guides, frequently asked questions about citing sources.

Citations are required in all types of academic texts. They are needed for several reasons:

• To avoid plagiarism by indicating when you’re taking information from another source
• To give proper credit to the author of that source
• To allow the reader to consult your sources for themselves

A citation is needed whenever you integrate a source into your writing. This usually means quoting or paraphrasing:

• To quote a source , copy a short piece of text word for word and put it inside quotation marks .
• To paraphrase a source , put the text into your own words. It’s important that the paraphrase is not too close to the original wording. You can use the paraphrasing tool if you don’t want to do this manually.

Citations are needed whether you quote or paraphrase, and whatever type of source you use. As well as citing scholarly sources like books and journal articles, don’t forget to include citations for any other sources you use for ideas, examples, or evidence. That includes websites, YouTube videos , and lectures .

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Usually, your institution (or the journal you’re submitting to) will require you to follow a specific citation style, so check your guidelines or ask your instructor.

In some cases, you may have to choose a citation style for yourself. Make sure to pick one style and use it consistently:

• APA Style is widely used in the social sciences and beyond.
• MLA style is common in the humanities.
• Chicago notes and bibliography , common in the humanities
• Chicago author-date , used in the (social) sciences
• There are many other citation styles for different disciplines.

If in doubt, check with your instructor or read other papers from your field of study to see what style they follow.

In most styles, your citations consist of:

• Brief in-text citations at the relevant points in the text
• A reference list or bibliography containing full information on all the sources you’ve cited

In-text citations most commonly take the form of parenthetical citations featuring the last name of the source’s author and its year of publication (aka author-date citations).

An alternative to this type of in-text citation is the system used in numerical citation styles , where a number is inserted into the text, corresponding to an entry in a numbered reference list.

There are also note citation styles , where you place your citations in either footnotes or endnotes . Since they’re not embedded in the text itself, these citations can provide more detail and sometimes aren’t accompanied by a full reference list or bibliography.

A reference list (aka “Bibliography” or “Works Cited,” depending on the style) is where you provide full information on each of the sources you’ve cited in the text. It appears at the end of your paper, usually with a hanging indent applied to each entry.

The information included in reference entries is broadly similar, whatever citation style you’re using. For each source, you’ll typically include the:

• Author name
• Publication date
• Container (e.g., the book an essay was published in, the journal an article appeared in)
• Location (e.g., a URL or DOI , or sometimes a physical location)

The exact information included varies depending on the source type and the citation style. The order in which the information appears, and how you format it (e.g., capitalization, use of italics) also varies.

Most commonly, the entries in your reference list are alphabetized by author name. This allows the reader to easily find the relevant entry based on the author name in your in-text citation.

In numerical citation styles, the entries in your reference list are numbered, usually based on the order in which you cite them. The reader finds the right entry based on the number that appears in the text.

Because each style has many small differences regarding things like italicization, capitalization , and punctuation , it can be difficult to get every detail right. Using a citation generator can save you a lot of time and effort.

Scribbr offers citation generators for both APA and MLA style. Both are quick, easy to use, and 100% free, with no ads and no registration required.

Just input a URL or DOI or add the source details manually, and the generator will automatically produce an in-text citation and reference entry in the correct format. You can save your reference list as you go and download it when you’re done, and even add annotations for an annotated bibliography .

Once you’ve prepared your citations, you might still be unsure if they’re correct and if you’ve used them appropriately in your text. This is where Scribbr’s other citation tools and services may come in handy:

Plagiarism Checker

Citation Checker

Citation Editing

Plagiarism means passing off someone else’s words or ideas as your own. It’s a serious offense in academia. Universities use plagiarism checking software to scan your paper and identify any similarities to other texts.

When you’re dealing with a lot of sources, it’s easy to make mistakes that could constitute accidental plagiarism. For example, you might forget to add a citation after a quote, or paraphrase a source in a way that’s too close to the original text.

Using a plagiarism checker yourself before you submit your work can help you spot these mistakes before they get you in trouble. Based on the results, you can add any missing citations and rephrase your text where necessary.

Try out the Scribbr Plagiarism Checker for free, or check out our detailed comparison of the best plagiarism checkers available online.

Scribbr Plagiarism Checker

Scribbr’s Citation Checker is a unique AI-powered tool that automatically detects stylistic errors and inconsistencies in your in-text citations. It also suggests a correction for every mistake.

Currently available for APA Style, this is the fastest and easiest way to make sure you’ve formatted your citations correctly. You can try out the tool for free below.

If you need extra help with your reference list, we also offer a more in-depth Citation Editing Service.

Our experts cross-check your in-text citations and reference entries, make sure you’ve included the correct information for each source, and improve the formatting of your reference page.

If you want to handle your citations yourself, Scribbr’s free Knowledge Base provides clear, accurate guidance on every aspect of citation. You can see citation examples for a variety of common source types below:

And you can check out our comprehensive guides to the most popular citation styles:

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The abbreviation “ et al. ” (Latin for “and others”) is used to shorten citations of sources with multiple authors.

“Et al.” is used in APA in-text citations of sources with 3+ authors, e.g. (Smith et al., 2019). It is not used in APA reference entries .

Use “et al.” for 3+ authors in MLA in-text citations and Works Cited entries.

Use “et al.” for 4+ authors in a Chicago in-text citation , and for 10+ authors in a Chicago bibliography entry.

The Scribbr Citation Generator is developed using the open-source Citation Style Language (CSL) project and Frank Bennett’s citeproc-js . It’s the same technology used by dozens of other popular citation tools, including Mendeley and Zotero.

You can find all the citation styles and locales used in the Scribbr Citation Generator in our publicly accessible repository on Github .

APA format is widely used by professionals, researchers, and students in the social and behavioral sciences, including fields like education, psychology, and business.

Be sure to check the guidelines of your university or the journal you want to be published in to double-check which style you should be using.

MLA Style  is the second most used citation style (after APA ). It is mainly used by students and researchers in humanities fields such as literature, languages, and philosophy.

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