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Everything you need to know to include images in your assignments.

Welcome!

On this guide you will learn how to insert images in your assignments following APA Style (7e)!

Are you new to using images in an assignment?

Start by viewing the videos below, which will walk you through the steps of finding, inserting and citing images in your assignments.

Video: Finding Free Images

Video: Citing Images

Also on this page:

Video: Finding Free Images

Video: Citing Images

Websites with Free Images

The following feature open images and are listed in alphabetical order:

 

CC Search

Content licensed with a Creative Commons or CC 0 License.

 

Flickr: The Commons

 

FoodiesFeed

 

ISO Republic

​

Nappy

"Beautifully diverse stock photos" licensed under Creative Commons Zero (CC0). 

 

The Noun Project

 
Open Clip Art
 

Open Photo

 

Pexels

​

Pixabay

 
Unsplash
Popular resource for finding images. Provide a credit.
 
WOC in Tech Collection (Flickr)
Photos licensed with a CC-BY license. Use with attribution.
 

Wikimedia Commons

Examples - How to Include Free Images in Your Assignments

It's possible your instructor has some requirements for using images in your assignments, so it's always a good idea to ask how they would like images to be cited.

If no instructions are given, APA Style has some guidance:

  • Start by labelling the image with a Figure number (any visual display that is not a table is considered a figure).
  • Enter a title for your image and italicize it. The title should be brief, clear and explain the content of the image. It does not have to be the same title as the image title that will appear in your References entry.
  • Under the image, include a Note, with the image title (describe the image in square brackets if no title is provided), creator, and date listed, along with the title of the website where you found the image, the hyperlinked url for the image, and the license statement for the image. Examples can be found in the tabs of this box.
  • Include a References entry in your References as well.
  • If the image appears in the body of your paper, APA recommends the image be placed at the top or the bottom of the page (not the middle). Centre the image as well, with the note left justified.
  • If there is only one Reference in your References list, the heading on the page should be: Reference

When referring to your image in the text of your paper, refer to it by the figure number.

For example:

  • As shown in Figure 2.
  • As compared in the image (See Figure 7).

 

Libraries subscribes to several image databases, including ArtStor and Britannica ImageQuest.

The images from these databases can be used in your assignments but should not be shared online, which is why there is no image in the example below!

In Your Paper

Figure 1

Sydney Opera House

(Image centred here)

Note. From Sydney Opera House by B. Bachmann, n.d., Britannica ImageQuest (https://quest-eb-com.centennial.idm.oclc.org/images/139_2006441?ref=shared). Copyright Photo Researchers.

Reference

Bachmann, B. (n.d.). Sydney Opera House [Photograph]. Britannica ImageQuest. https://quest-eb-com.centennial.idm.oclc.org/images/139_2006441?ref=shared

 

If there is no title for your image, provide a description in square brackets. If no date is available, enter: n.d. in the date field.

In Your Paper

Figure 1

Productive Group Meeting

brainstorming, business, businessman, businesswoman, colleagues, communication, computer, conference, connection, cooperation, copy space, coworker, design, computer professional, electronic device, collaboration, product design

Note. From [Group meeting with person taking notes on a laptop] [Photograph], n.d., PxHere (https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1431569). CC0 Public Domain.

Reference

[Group meeting with person taking notes on a laptop] [Photograph]. (n.d.). PxHere. https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1431569

In Your Paper

Figure 1

Kids Playing With Bubbles

Note. From Bubbles! [Photograph], by C. McCorkle, 2006, Flickr (https://flic.kr/p/NRiRR7). CC BY-SA 2.0.

Reference

McCorkle, C. (2006). Bubbles! [Photograph]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/NRiRR7

In Your Paper

Figure 1

Example of Two-Tone Line Art

Note. From Cat icon grey [Clip art], by Katze2122, 2018, Open Clipart (https://openclipart.org/detail/308557/cat-icon-grey). CC0 1.0.

Reference

Katze2122. (2018). Cat icon grey [Clip art]. Open Clipart. https://openclipart.org/detail/308557/cat-icon-grey

In Your Paper

Figure 1

Example of an AI Generated Image

Note. Image generated using the prompt "Fall trees" by Perchance, AI Image Generator, 2023 (https://perchance.org/ai-text-to-image-generator).

Reference

Perchance. (2023). AI Image Generator [AI image creator]. https://perchance.org/ai-text-to-image-generator

In Canva, students should make sure they use free images. Canva has more information about their licenses here: https://www.canva.com/policies/content-license-agreement/

The citation information for Canva images can be found by clicking on the 3 dots in the top right corner of the image. If no date is included, write n.d. in the date field.

In your paper, give your image a title, and make sure you include a note under the image, unless your professor has instructed otherwise.

In Your Paper

Figure 1

Shop Local

(insert image here, centred)

Note. From Woman shopping at local grocery store [Photograph], by S. Sharma, n.d., Canva (https://www.canva.com/). Canva Free Content License.

Reference

Sharma, S. (n.d.). Woman shopping at local grocery store [Photograph]. Canva. https://www.canva.com/

 

Unpublished images include images taken by you but not available publicly online or in a published form.

For images you took yourself, you do not need to include a figure number, note, or References entry. However, you may wish to add a note underneath the image to let your reader know it's your photograph (otherwise, your reader may assume you forgot to cite the image!)

In Your Paper

(Insert image here)

Note. Photograph by author.

No References entry is needed when the image is your own.

Word Templates

Quoting From An Image (Or Other Visual Material)

If you are quoting information from an image, table, graph or infographic only (and not inserting it into your paper) follow the guidelines on our APA guide for citing your sources.

For example, if you are citing information from a table you found in a journal article, follow the guidelines for citing Journal Articles.

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