When writing research articles, you may want to use images found on Google Images as references. Regardless of the citation style you follow, you cannot quote an image from Google directly. You need to click on the image and visit the website that displays the image. To cite an image, you need to cite the relevant website or source. The information contained in the citation will be the same, but the format will differ depending on the style of citation used, such as the American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), or Chicago/Turabian.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using ANY Style
Step 1. Name the artist/photographer
APA citation entries always begin with the author's last name. For images, you'll need the last name and (at a minimum) the first initials of the person who designed or created the quoted image.
- In the complete entry of the reference list, you will need to mention the last name of the artist/photographer, insert a comma, and add the initials of the first and middle name (if any). For example: "Nugroho, B."
- You can find the name of the artist/photographer by visiting the main website. However, you may also need to do a more in-depth search. Always try to find the name of the creator/image taker. If you can't find or know the artist's name after a fairly in-depth search, leave this information blank and start the entry with the image title.
Step 2. Enter the date of publication of the image
After the artist's name, state the year the image was created or published and enclose it in parentheses. This information is another element that may be difficult to find when you use images from the internet as references.
- For example: "Nugroho, B. (2013)."
- If you can right-click the image, there may be additional information to be found, including the date. In addition, date information may also be available in the text near/around the image.
Step 3. State the title and image format
If the author of the image gives a title to his work, state the title in plain font and use the sentence case format (capital letters as the first letter in the first word and name). If the image does not have a title, provide a short description of the image in square brackets.
- For example: "Nugroho, B. (2013). [Photo of Villa Isola building, untitled]."
- If the image has a title, state the title in plain font and use the sentence case format (capital letters as the first letter in the first word and name). For example: "Nugroho, B. (2013). Villa Isola – Bandung."
Step 4. Provide a direct link to the website containing the image
The purpose of adding citations is to help readers find the artwork you cite as easily as possible. Try to find permalinks as content can change. State the date of access to the image after that.
- There is no dot at the end of the URL to close the quote entry. For English, use the “month-date-year” format (don't shorten the month name). For Indonesian, use the “date-month-year” format.
- For example: "Nugroho, B. (2013). Villa Isola – Bandung. Retrieved January 5, 2021 from
- For Indonesian: "Nugroho, B. (2013). Villa Isola – Bandung. Accessed January 5, 2021 from
Step 5. Use the artist's last name and year of publication for in-text citations
When you mention images in writing in a research article, you need to include in-text citations that lead the reader to the full entry in the reference list.
- The standard format for in-text citations is "last name, year." For example: "(Nugroho, 2013)"
- If you can't find the name of the artist/photographer, just use the first information in the full quote entry. For the title, you can use keywords. However, make sure the keywords used can direct readers to the right entries.
Method 2 of 3: Using the Chicago Quote Style
Step 1. Start with the artist's name
For full citation entries in Chicago or Turabian style, you must prefix the name of the author of the image (if name information is available). Type a name in the "last name, first name" format.
For example: "Nugroho, Wake up."
Step 2. State the date the image was created
After the artist's name, include the date the image was created or published. You can find this information on the website, or by right-clicking the image.
- For Chicago style, you need the full date in “month-date-year” format (if date information is available). For Indonesian, you can use the “date-month-year” format. If not, simply state as much information as possible.
- For example: "Nugroho, Wake up. March 2013."
- For Indonesian: “Nugroho, Wake Up. March 2013.”
Step 3. Include a title for the image
The next element of the Chicago or Turabian style citation entry displays the title of the image for the reader. Use a sentence-case format (capital letters as the first letter in the first word and your own name in the title).
- For example: "Nugroho, Wake up. March 2013. Villa Isola – Bandung."
- For Indonesian: "Nugroho, Wake. March 2013. Villa Isola – Bandung."
- If the image doesn't have a title, provide a short description of the image so readers can find it on the source page or website. For example: "Nugroho, Bangun. 2013. Photo of Villa Isola building."
Step 4. Enter the image source information
As the last element of the complete citation entry, include a direct link (URL) to the site or web page containing the image, along with the title of the website itself. The Chicago style of citation does not require you to mention the date of image access.
- For example: "Nugroho, Bangun. March 2013. Villa Isola – Bandung. From Bangun Nugroho Photo,
- For Indonesian: "Nugroho, Bangun. March 2013. Villa Isola – Bandung. From Bangun Nugroho Photo,
Step 5. Use the author-date system for in-text citations
The Chicago and Turabian styles have two methods of in-text citation. You can use footnotes or in-text citations (bracketed citations) in your writing to direct readers to the full entry in the bibliography or reference list.
- If you are using parenthetical citations, state the artist's last name and the year the image was created. For example: "(Nugroho, 2013)."
- If you don't know the artist's last name, use the first few words of the full entry, citations or keywords that accurately direct readers to the appropriate entry.
Method 3 of 3: Using MLA Style
Step 1. Start with the name of the artist/photographer
Try to find the full name of the creator of the image and use that name to start the quote entry in the “last name, first name” format. As much as possible avoid using initials.
For example: "Nugroho, Wake up."
Step 2. Enter the title of the image
The next element of information in an MLA-style citation is the title of the quoted image. If the image is a work of art (eg a painting or photo), type the title in italic text.
- For example: "Nugroho, Wake up. Villa Isola – Bandung."
- If the image doesn't have a title, include a short description of the image in the usual format. For example: "Nugroho, Wake up. Photo of Villa Isola building."
Step 3. State the date the image was created
If the image is on the internet, you will need specific date information in “month-date-year” format if available (or “day-month-year” in Indonesian). For physical works of art such as paintings or photographs, you only need the copyright year.
- For example: "Nugroho, Bangun. Villa Isola – Bandung. 2013."
- If you can't find the date the image was created or published, use the abbreviation "n.d." instead of date.
- You may need to cite an image of the artwork from the internet. In situations like this, you should also mention the location where the work will be stored or exhibited if possible. For example: "Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine. 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York."
Step 4. List the site/webpage information that contains the image
As a final element in an MLA-style citation entry, add a direct link to the page that displays the image on the internet, as well as the date the image was accessed.
- State the name of the website in italics, followed by the URL of the site. After that, add a period and start a new sentence to include the date of access to the image in the format “month-date-year” (or “day-month-year” for Indonesian).
- For example: "Nugroho, Bangun. Villa Isola – Bandung. 2013. Bangun Nugroho Photo, Accessed January 5, 2021."
- For Indonesian: "Nugroho, Bangun. Villa Isola – Bandung. 2013. Bangun Nugroho Photo, Accessed January 5, 2021."
- When listing a URL, you only need the www.- part of the address for MLA citations. You can remove the "http:" or "https:" portion of the URL.
Step 5. Use signal phrases in your writing
Online sources usually don't need MLA-style bracketed citations if you refer to them in writing. Instead, provide representative information in the article so that readers can find the complete entry of citations in the bibliography segment or works cited at the end of the article.
For example, "The splendor of the Art Deco architectural style is highlighted in the photo of Villa Isola taken by Bangun Nugroho."
Tips
- Always look for original image maker information. Don't just refer to websites that contain images. Do an image search to find other copies of the image, or contact the website owner to see if you can track down the original creator of the work/photo.
- When it comes to online images, it may be difficult for you to find all the information you need for a quote. If you can't find certain information, skip it and move on to another element of the citation. As much as possible try to find as much information as possible. Talk to your teacher or librarian if you need help.
