Images, figures and tables

Check if the person who has reproduced the image has referenced the creator or copyright holder. It may be the author of the journal article or book. If you are still unsure, try uploading or copying a link to where you found the image into Google Lens.

Information on the copyright can usually be found in the first few pages of a book, or the footer of a webpage – you will usually also see the copyright symbol ©. Sometimes the creator of the figure or table will replace their copyright with a creative commons (CC) licence. Through this licence the creator has indicated how it may be reused.

Figure 1. Correlation plot between full scale IQ (FISQ) and relative alpha reactivity. From Bellato et al. 2020, figure 5. CC BY 4.0.

Format

Figure #. Caption. From [Adapted from] Author Year, page / figure number. Copyright statement.

In-text

As figure 1 shows... (see figure 1).

Reference List

Bellato, Alessio, Iti Arora, Puja Kochhar, Chris Hollis, and Madeleine J. Groom. 2020. "Atypical Electrophysiological Indices of Eyes-open and Eyes-closed Resting-state in Children and Adolescents with ADHD and Autism." Brain Sciences 10 (5): 272–284. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10050272.

Figure 2. Sectional glass and iron dials. From Tower Clocks 1911, 8. CC BY 3.0.

Format

Figure #. Caption. From [Adapted from] Author Year, page / figure number. Copyright statement.

Note: the above book has no author so the title been moved to the place of author.

In-text

As figure 2 shows... or (see figure 2).

Reference List

Tower Clocks. 1911. Seth Thomas Clock Company. https://archive.org/details/TowerClocks.

Figure 3. Waterfall with bridge in background. Photograph by Timothy M. Roberts 2016. CC BY-SA 2.0.

Format

Figure #. Caption (optional). Photograph [Image, Artwork] by Creator's full name Year. Copyright statement.

In-text

As figure 3 shows... or (see figure 3).

Reference List

Roberts, Timothy M. 2016. Crystal Shower Falls. Photograph. Flickr. https://flickr.com/photos/99613024@N04/30696186310.

Figure 4. David Mann Library. From La Trobe University 2021. Copyright 2021 by La Trobe University.

Format

Figure #. Caption (optional). From [Adapted from] Author Year, page / figure number. Copyright statement.

In-text reference

As figure 4 shows... or (see Figure 4).

Reference List

La Trobe University. 2021. "Face to Face Services Resume at our Regional Libraries." News, La Trobe University, June 6, 2021. https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/announcements/2021/face-to-face-services-resume-at-our-regional-libraries.

Figure 5.  Medical collage. Top, Image by Gustavo Fring 2021; middle, Image by Fayette Reynolds M.S. 2022; bottom, Image by Gerd Altman 2018. Used under licence.

Format

Figure #. Caption (optional). Photograph [Image, Artwork, Map] by Creator's full name Year. Copyright statement (if required); From [Adapted from] Author Year, page / figure number. Copyright statement.

Terms to identify which image you are referring to (e.g., top, bottom, above, middle, left, right) are in italics.

In-text reference

As figure 5 shows... or (see figure 5).

Reference List

Altman, Gerd. 2018. DNA Analysis Research. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/illustrations/dna-analysis-research-3539309/.

Fring, Gustavo. 2021. Close-up of Lab Worker Looking at Speciman Under Microscope. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-lab-worker-looking-at-specimen-under-microscope-8770717/.

Reynolds M.S., Fayette. 2021. Cells Seen Under a Microscope. Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/photo/cell-seen-under-microscope-11198506/.

Figure 6. Image generated by ChatGPT-4, October 7, 2024, from the prompt "Create image of a sunset using wool." Used under licence.

Format

Figure #. Image generated by Title of Program, Month, Day, Year, from the prompt "Enter prompt here." Copyright statement.

For more information about using AI, see: Copyright considerations when using artificial intelligence.

In-text reference

As figure 6 shows... or (see figure 6).

Reference List

Only include if the link is recoverable.  See: Generative AI and CMOS 14.112.

[Insert image here]

Figure 7. Caption (optional). Image by Microsoft 365 Stock Images. Used under licence.

In-text reference

As figure 7 shows... or (see figure 7).

Reference List

Not required.

Figure 8. The Tanks. Forster, New South Wales.

Format

Figure #. Caption (optional).

In-text

As figure 8 shows... or (see figure 8).

Reference List

Not required.

If you have included only a few figures / images in your presentation and you are not referring to them:

• the figure number is optional.
• if you you have reproduced the image from another source, you must include the caption with the in-text reference and copyright statement. The full reference is provided in the reference list.
• it is okay to place the caption in smaller font at the bottom of a presentation slide. 
• if the image is your own work, the caption is also optional.
• If you have used images from Microsoft 365 Stock Images through out your assignment as decoration, the La Trobe Copyright Officer recommends providing an acknowledgement at the beginning or end or your presentation e.g.,

All images unless otherwise attributed are from Microsoft 365 Stock Images, used under licence.

If you are reproducing an image from another source, the answer is yes.

The Copyright Officer at La Trobe University recommends you reference the creator or copyright holder of an image even if a licence states that it is not required. Exceptions to this include:

• Images you have created - you do not need to reference your own work however, you do need to reference images you have created using Generative AI.
• Clip art and stock images from programs such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint - in this instance, the Copyright Officer suggests an acknowledgement at the end of the presentation will suffice.

For more information about using AI, see: Copyright considerations when using artificial intelligence.

Place the figure in the body of your assignment after the paragraph in which you have referred to it.

For more information: see CMOS 3.8.

[Insert image here]

Figure #. Caption (optional).  From [or Adapted from] Author Year, page or figure number. Photograph [Image, Artwork, Map] by Creator Full Name Year, page or figure number (if applicable). Copyright statement (if required).

For more information, see: 3. Format and reference tab.

• Figures are numbered as they appear in-text.
• Figures are numbered in a separate sequence to any tables.
• The figure number is placed under the figure.
• If you include a figure in your document you should refer to it in your text, e.g. Figure 1 shows... (not 'figure above' or 'figure below').
• The figure number is optional if you are not referring to it in-text.

• The caption is written in next to the figure number in sentence case and provides any details about the figure.
• The caption is optional.

For more information, see CMOS 3.21.

The source line is where you acknowledge the creator of an image or figure. In Chicago style, it is included at the end of the caption.

• For standalone figures (including image, photographs, maps):
  • Acknowledge the creator and the year. For example, Photograph by Timothy M. Roberts 2016.  
  • We recommend including the year to point to the correct entry in your reference list.
• For figures from books, journal articles, webpages:
  • Provide a standard Chicago (Author-Date) in-text citation with no parentheses.  For example, From Bellato et al. 2020, figure 5.
    • Use From when you are reproducing an image or figure as is (i.e. you haven't made any changes).
    • Use Adapted from when you are reproducing a figure or data from another source and you have changed it for your own purposes, e.g. added data to an original graph or added a textbox or arrow.

The copyright statement is a notice stating the name of the creator, date, and / or licence details.  It is usually in one of the following formats:

• Copyright Year by Name of Copyright holder, e.g. Copyright 2020 by La Trobe University.
• Creative Commons Licence abbreviation (with link), e.g. CC BY 4.0.
• Used under licence. Use this when a work is available to use under a specific licence agreement e.g., Pixabay, Unsplash, Microsoft 365 Stock Images.
• In the Public Domain.This statement can only be used if a resource is no longer subject to copyright. Copyright lasts for a certain period of time. After that a work is deemed out of copyright and in the public domain. Alternatively, some creators give up their copyright to allow a work to be used for free with no restrictions. A resource is not 'In the Public Domain' just because it is freely available on the internet. You should always check the licence or terms of use. For more information, see Duration of Copyright or contact the University Copyright Office for advice.

Table 1. Diameter of bells (at their mouth) and their weight

Source: Adapted from Tower Clocks 1911, 10. CC BY 3.0.
Note. Optional.

Format of source line

Source: From [or Adapted from] Author Year, Table # or page / locator.  Copyright statement.

Note: the book in this example has no author so the title been moved to the place of author.

In-text reference

As table 1 shows....or (see table 1)

Reference list entry

Tower clocks. 1911. Seth Thomas Clock Company. https://archive.org/details/TowerClocks.

Table 2. Correlation matrix between active and passive usage of social networking sites (SNS) and subjective well-being (SWB)

Source: From Hanley et al. 2019, table 2.  CC BY 4.0.
Note. Optional.

Format of source line

Source: From [or Adapted from] Author Year, Table # or page / locator.  Copyright statement.

In-text reference

As table 2 shows...or (see table 2)

Reference list entry

Hanley, Sarah .M., Susan E. Watt, and William Coventry. 2019. "Taking a Break: The Effect of Taking a Vacation from Facebook and Instagram on Subjective Well-being." PLoS ONE 14(6): e0217743. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0217743

Table 3. Persons aged 18 years and over - proportion of current daily smokers, 2017-18

Source: From Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018. CC BY 4.0.

Format of source line

Source: From [or Adapted from] Author Year, Table # or page / locator.  Copyright statement.

In-text reference

As table 3 shows...or (see table 3).

Reference list entry

Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2018. "Smoking." ABS. Accessed January 23, 2023. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/smoking/2017-18.

Table 1. Number of books read per month in 2024

Source: Not required.
Note. Optional.

In-text reference

As table 1 shows....or (see table 1)

Reference list entry

Not required.

Format

Table #.  Table title

[Enter table here]

Source: Data from Author Year, page / locator.

Note. Optional.

If you use data from multiple sources:

Sources: Data from Author Year, page / locator; Author Year, page / locator.

Copyright statement

Not required.

Reference list

Include full reference(s) in reference list.

If you are reproducing a table from another source, the answer is yes.

The Copyright Officer at La Trobe University recommends you reference the creator or copyright holder of an table even if a licence states that it is not required.

• If you are reproducing or adapting a table from another source, you are required to provide a in-text citation (without parentheses) and copyright statement in the Note. Please see the Reproduce a table (from another source) for more information.
• If you have created your own table using data from different sources, you can use in-text referencing without parentheses. Please see the Create your own table tab for more information.

If you are referring to a table from another source, you can include it in place of a page number in your in-text reference e.g.,

(Hanley et al. 2019, table 2), or

Hanley et al. (2019, table 2) shows...

Reference list entry

Hanley, Sarah M., Susan E. Watt, and William Coventry. 2019. "Taking a Break: The Effect of Taking a Vacation from Facebook and Instagram on Subjective Well-being." PLoS ONE, 14 (6): e0217743. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0217743

Place the table in the body of your assignment after the paragraph in which you have referred to it.

For more information: see CMOS 3.52.

Table #. Title of table

[Insert table here]

Source(s): an acknowledgement of who / where you copied the table or retrieved the data from to create the table.

Note. Further information about the table and data.

For more information, see: CMOS 3.53.

• Tables are numbered as they appear in-text.
• Tables are numbered in a separate sequence to any figures.
• If you include a table in your document you should refer to it in your text, e.g. As table 1 shows...or (see table 1).

For more information, see CMOS 3.55.

• The  Table title is written next to the Table number.
• The title should be in sentence case with no full stop at the end.

For more information, see CMOS 3.55.

• Notes are written immediately below the table and follow this order - sources notes, notes applying to the whole table, notes applying to specific parts of a table, and notes on significance levels.
• A source note is required if you have reproduced or adapted a table from another source, or used data from another source to create a table.

For more information, see CMOS 3.77.

The source line is where you acknowledge the creator of a table or the data you have used to create a table. In Chicago style, it is included immediately under the table.

• For tables from books, journal articles, webpages:
  • Provide a standard Chicago (Author-Date) in-text citation with no parentheses.  For example, From Author Year, page / locator.
    • Use From when you are reproducing a table as is (i.e. you haven't made any changes).
    • Use Adapted from when you are reproducing a table from another source and you have changed it for your own purposes, e.g. added data from another source.
• For tables you have created on your own with data from other sources:
  • Provide a standard Chicago (Author-Date) in-text citation with no parentheses. For example, Data from Author Year, page / locator.
  • Separate multiple sources with a semicolon.  For example, Data from Author Year, page / locator; Author Year, page / locator.

The copyright statement is a notice stating the name of the creator, date, and / or licence details.  It is usually in one of the following formats:

• Copyright Year by Name of Copyright holder, e.g. Copyright 2020 by La Trobe University.
• Creative Commons Licence abbreviation (with link), e.g. CC BY 4.0.
• Used under licence. Use this when a work is available to use under a specific licence agreement e.g., Pixabay, Unsplash, Microsoft 365 Stock tables.
• In the Public Domain.This statement can only be used if a resource is no longer subject to copyright. Copyright expires depending on different factors, when this happens you will see the comment ‘in the public domain’ which allows you to reuse the table, still with appropriate referencing. In the public domain can only be used if the resource is no longer subject to copyright. For more information, see Duration of Copyright or contact the University Copyright Office for advice.