APA Style Guide for Citations and Student Papers: Images, Charts, Graphs, Maps, & Tables

Reproducing Images, Charts, Tables & Graphs

Reproducing happens when you copy or recreate an image, table, graph or chart that is not your original creation. If you reproduce one of these works in your assignment, you must create a note underneath the image, chart, table or graph to show where you found it. You do not include this information in a Reference list.

Citing Information From an Image, Chart, Table or Graph

If you refer to information from an image, chart, table or graph, but do not reproduce it in your paper, create a citation both in-text and on your Reference list.

If the information is part of another format, for example a book, magazine article, encyclopedia, etc., cite the work it came from. For example if information came from a table in an article in National Geographic magazine, you would cite the entire article.

If you are only making a passing reference to a well known image, you would not have to cite it, e.g. describing someone as having a Mona Lisa smile.

Figure Numbers

Each image you reproduce should be assigned a figure number, starting with number 1 for the first image used in the assignment.

Title

Images may not have a set title. If this is the case give a description of the image where you would normally put the title.

Copyright Information

Include copyright information in the citation if it is given, including the year and the copyright holder. Copyright information on a website may often be found at the bottom of the home page.

Still Need Help?

For more information on citing figures in APA, see Purdue Owl 1 and Purdue Owl 2.

According to APA, clip art images from Microsoft programs such as Word and Microsoft PowerPoint do not need a full citation. Instead put a note in-text after the image to specify which software package the clip art image came from, e.g. Image from Microsoft Word 2010.

Note: Applies to Graphs, Charts, Drawings, Maps, Tables and Photographs

Figure X. Description of the image or title of the image. Adapted from "Title of Article," by Article Author's First Initial. Second Initial. Last Name, year, day, (for a magazine) or year (for a journal), em>Title of Magazine or Journal, volume number, page(s). Copyright year by name of copyright holder.

Note: Information about the image is placed directly below the image in your assignment.

Example:

Figure 1. Man exercising. Adapted from "Yoga: Stretching Out," by A. N. Green, and L. O. Brown, 2006, May 8, Sports Digest, 15, p. 22. Copyright 2006 by Sports Digest Inc.

Note: Applies to Graphs, Charts, Maps, Drawings, Tables and Photographs

Figure X. Description of the image or image title if given. Adapted from "Title of Image Collection," by Author/Creator's First Initial. Second Initial. Last Name if given, publication date if given. Retrieved from Database Name database. Copyright date by Name of Copyright Holder.

Note: Information about the image is placed directly below the image in your assignment.

Note: Applies to Graphs, Charts, Drawings, Tables and Photographs

Figure X. Description of the image or image title if given. Adapted from "Title of Website," by Author/Creator's First Initial. Second Initial. Last Name if given, publication date if given, Title of Website. Retrieved Month, day, year that you last viewed the website, from url. Copyright date by Name of Copyright Holder.

Note: Information about the image is placed directly below the image in your assignment.

Example:

Figure 2. Table of symbols. Adapted from "Case One Study Results," by G. A. Black, 2006, Strong Online. Retrieved June 14, 2013, from http://www.strongonline/casestudies/one.html. Copyright 2010 by G.L. Strong Ltd.

Note: This is a Seneca Libraries recommendation.

Figure X. Google Maps. (Year). [Location Name, City, Province] [Street map]. Retrieved from URL

Example:

Figure 1. Google Maps. (2014). [Newnham Campus, Seneca College, Toronto, Ontario] [Street map]. Retrieved from https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=newnham+campus+seneca+college&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&gfe_rd=cr&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ei=tU2YU9_0JsyyyAShxYDgDA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ