Cite My Sources

Citing works of art and images found online can be difficult because you may not be able to find the same identifying elements as you would for a more traditional source. Depending on the scope of your project, you may need to refer to images in several different ways, including captions, notes, a list of illustrations, and in the bibliography. You may have to adapt examples and standards to fit materials that are not specifically included in the style guides, which is fine as long as you are clear and consistent throughout your paper.

The style you are using will usually outline the information and formatting of image citations and captions, but you'll typically need the following information:

• The name of the author, the title of the work, and a date of creation/completion.
• The source; for artworks held in a museum, this would be the museum's name and location. For art or images hosted online, this would be the hosting website (e.g., Flickr). 
• If the work is accessed online, the URL or a persistent link to view the item.
• Some styles may also require you to include information about the medium of the work; refer to the style's manual for how to format this information.

For information specific to the citation style you are using, use the navigation menu on the left to select your style, and then look for the "Images" section on the style's page.

Most artworks and images you find online are copyrighted, and their use is regulated by copyright laws and fair use. Reasonable use of images in course papers, presentations, and graduate theses/dissertations is generally covered by fair use. Images should be used with critical commentary, and need to be identified and cited.

Use the following elements when identifying and citing an image, depending on the information you have available. It is your responsibility to do due diligence and document as much as possible about the image you are using:

• Artist's/creator's name, if relevant;
• Title of the work/image, if known, or description;
• Ownership information (such as a person, estate, museum, library collection) and source of image;
• Material, if known, particularly for art works;
• Dimensions of the work, if known.

Using copyrighted images without asking for permission is permitted for nonprofit educational purposes under fair use. Copyrighted images copied from other sources should not be used without permissions in publications or for commercial purposes. 

While most artworks and images are copyrighted, some images and artworks may use a Creative Commons license (CC). There are six different types of licenses:

• CC BY: This license only requires that the creator is attributed; you can distribute, remix, adapt, and otherwise reuse the material, as long as the creator is credited.
• CC BY-SA: This license requires that the creator is attributed and that any work remix, adapt, or otherwise reuses the original work distributes their adaptation under the same terms.
• CC BY-NC: This license requires that the creator is attributed and that any redistribution, remixing, adaptations, or other reuse is for noncommercial purposes only. 
• CC BY-NC-SA: This license requires that the creator is attributed, and that any redistribution, remixing, adaptation, or other reuse is noncommercial and is licensed with identical terms. 
• CC BY-ND: This license allows for a work to be copied and distributed in any medium or format in unadapted form only, provided that the creator is attributed. No derivatives, adaptation, or remixing is permitted under this license.
• CC BY-NC-ND: This license allows for a work to be copied and distributed in any medium or format in unadapted form only, provided that the creator is attributed and the purpose is noncommercial. No derivatives, adaptations, or remixing is permitted under this license. 

There is a seventh Creative Commons designation, called CC0. This is a public domain dedication tool, where the creator has given up their copyright and placed their work into the public domain, alongside other CC0 works and works that are not copyrighted, either due to their copyright expiring or not being protected by copyright law. 

Although works in the public domain are not copyrighted, it is still best practice to credit the creator in your work. Crediting and citing public domain works will allow others to locate the content that you reference or used.

These sources include not just image reproductions but also information about those images.

Books

Books are an important source for images, which have been well identified and described.

Institutional Image Database

Our library provides access to Bridgeman Images, a unique and comprehensive collection of art masterpieces of all varieties.

Museums

More and more museums are making images available. Here are a few museum sites that have images available for download.

Below is a short list of frequently used free Internet image sources that may not always give authoritative information. YouTube, Pinterest, and other social media websites allow individuals to post visual materials, but do not always provide appropriate image identification or attribution for the images.