Cite Images in PowerPoint

When creating presentations in PowerPoint, properly citing images is essential to avoid copyright issues and to give credit to the original creators.

MLA Citation Style

Steps for MLA

1. Provide a figure number for the image.
   Figures are labeled using the abbreviation “Fig.” followed by a sequential number. If it’s the first image in your presentation, it would be “Fig. 1.” Type both the abbreviation and the number in bold type. Place a period after the number.

   • Example: Fig. 1.

   

2. Include a title or description of the image.
   If the image has a title, type that title enclosed in quotation marks. If it does not have a title, provide a brief description of the image. Then type the word “from,” followed by a colon.

   • Example: Fig. 1. Pedestrians walking by street art graffiti of the word love from:

   

3. Identify where you got the image from with a full citation.
   Include a full Works Cited entry for the source of the image in the image caption. MLA does not require an additional entry in the Works Cited for your presentation.

   • Example: Fig. 1. Pedestrians walking by street art graffiti of the word love from: “Pedestrian Street Art Protest,” 26 Dec. 2016, pxhere.com/en/photo/10722. Accessed 29 Oct. 2018.

   

4. Close with copyright or Creative Commons license status.
   If you have reproduced the image in your presentation slides, copyright or license details are required in the caption. Typically this information will be listed directly below the image. If you cannot find copyright or license details for the image, do not reproduce the image in your presentation.

   • Example: Fig. 1. Pedestrians walking by street art graffiti of the word love from: “Pedestrian Street Art Protest,” 26 Dec. 2016, pxhere.com/en/photo/10722. Accessed 29 Oct. 2018. Creative Commons CC0.

   MLA Caption Format
   Fig. x. Description of image from: Last Name, First Name. “Title of Original Image.” Publication, Day Month Year, p. x. Copyright or CC License.

APA Citation Style

Steps for APA

1. Label the image with a figure number.
   Immediately under the image, type the word “Figure” in italics, followed by a number for the image. Your numbers should be sequential throughout your presentation.

   • Example: Figure 1.

   

2. Provide a description of the image in your caption.
   The image in your presentation is a reproduction of the original. Since the title only applies to the original, APA style requires a description. Type your description in sentence case, capitalizing only the first word and any proper nouns.

   • Example: Figure 1. Cat watching World of Warcraft on a laptop.

   

3. Include information about where you found the image.
   Type the words “Adapted from,” then provide the title of the image, the creator of the image, and the location of the image. Include a URL for the image.

   • Example: Figure 1. Cat watching World of Warcraft on a laptop. Adapted from “World of Warcraft Obsession,” by Stacina, 2004, retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/staci/14430768 .

   

4. Close with copyright or Creative Commons license information.
   Copyright or license details indicate that you have permission to copy the image and use it in your presentation. If the image has a creative commons license, use the abbreviation listed.

   • Example: Figure 1. Cat watching World of Warcraft on a laptop. Adapted from “World of Warcraft Obsession,” by Stacina, 2004, retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/staci/14430768 . CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

   APA Caption Format
   Figure 1. Description of image in sentence case. Adapted from “Title of Original Image,” by Artist, Year, retrieved from URL.

5. Include a reference list entry in addition to the caption.
   APA style does not require a full citation in the caption for the image; rather, the full citation is included in your references.

   • Example: Stacina. (2004). World of Warcraft Obsession [photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/staci/14430768 .

   APA Reference List Citation Format
   Artist Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year). Title of image in sentence case [Description of format]. Retrieved from URL.

Chicago Citation Style

Steps for Chicago

1. Give the image a figure number.
   Begin your caption immediately under the image. Start the caption by typing the word “Figure” followed by a sequential number.

   • Example: Figure 1.

   

2. Provide a caption for the image.
   Include the title and name of the artist in your caption, writing a brief sentence that ties the image into the rest of your presentation.

   • Example: Figure 1. The Banquet of Cleopatra by Giambattista Tiepolo depicts a contest between Cleopatra and Mark Antony.

   

3. Include a full citation for the image in a footnote.
   The superscript number for your footnote may be in the text of your presentation, or at the end of the caption. In the footnote, list the name of the artist, title of the work, date of creation, and where you found the image.

   • Example: Giambattista Tiepolo, The Banquet of Cleopatra, 1743-44, oil on canvas, 250.3 x 357.0 cm, accessed 24 May 2018, http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/col/work/4409 .

   Chicago Footnote Format
   Artist First Name, Last Name, Title of Image, Year, materials, dimensions, accessed Day Month Year, URL.