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Finding and Using Media: Citing Images

How to find images to reuse on web pages and elsewhere.

Citation Style Guides

Properly citing resources is key to avoiding plagiarism. Follow the links below to find the appropriate style guide for your class. Remember, even if you put an idea in your own words, you must cite the original author. The Purdue OWL gives great instructions on how to cite in MLA, APA, and Chicago style.

APA Format for Electronic Images

Replace bolded text with the appropriate text.

For images with a known author:

Artist Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year of creation). Title of the artwork [Online Image]. Retrieved from URL 

Example:

Adams, Ansel. (1941). In Glacier National Park [Online Image]. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/research/ansel-adams/images/aae02.jpg

For images with no known author:

Title of work [Online Image]. (Year of creation). Retrieved from URL 

Example:

Millard's Printing House [Online Image]. (1910). Retrieved from http://cdm16313.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/LSA/id/1023/rec/6

For images with no known author, title, or date:

[Subject and type of work]. Retrieved from URL 

Example:

[Untitled photograph of woman in laboratory]. Retrieved from http://www.louisianadigitallibrary.com/cdm/ref/collection/p16313coll28/id/232

Chicago Style Format for Electronic Images

Replace bolded text with the appropriate text. 

For images with a known author:

Author name (last, first in Bib; first last in Notes). "Title of work." Format. Year. Name of website of database, URL

Example:

Bib: Adams, Ansel. "In Glacier National Park." Photograph, 1941. Records of the National Park Service, http://www.archives.gov/research/ansel-adams/images/aae02.jpg.

Notes: Ansel Adams, "In Glacier National Park," photograph, 1941, Records of the National Park Service, http://www.archives.gov/research/ansel-adams/images/aae02.jpg.

For images with no known author:

"Title of work." Format. YearName of website of databaseURL

Example:

Bib: "Millard's Printing House." Photograph, 1910. Louisiana Digital Library, http://cdm16313.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/LSA/id/1023/rec/6

Notes: "Millard's Printing House," photograph, 1910, Louisiana Digital Library, http://cdm16313.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/LSA/id/1023/rec/6

For images with no known author, title, or date:

[Description]. Format. Name of website or database, URL

Example:

Bib: [Untitled photograph of woman in laboratory]. Photograph. Louisiana Digital Library, http://www.louisianadigitallibrary.com/cdm/ref/collection/p16313coll28/id/232

Notes: [Untitled photograph of woman in laboratory], photograph, Louisiana Digital Library, http://www.louisianadigitallibrary.com/cdm/ref/collection/p16313coll28/id/232

MLA Format for Electronic Images

Replace bolded text with the appropriate text.

For images with a known author:

Artist Last NameFirst Name.  Title of work. Year of creation Institution, city. Name of the website. Publication Medium.  Access date

Example:

Adams, Ansel. In Glacier National Park. 1941. National Archives, College Park. National Archives. Web. 11 December 2013.

For images with no known author:

Title of work. Year of creation Institution, cityName of the websitePublication Medium.  Access date

Example:

Millard's Printing House. 1910. Center for Louisiana Studies, Lafayette. Louisiana Digital Library. Web. 11 December 2013.

For images with no known author, title, or date:

Description of work. Institution, cityName of the websitePublication Medium.  Access date.  

Example:

Untitled photograph of woman in laboratory. Loyola University, New Orleans. Louisiana Digital Library. Web. 11 December 2013.

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