How to Cite Google Images

When writing a research paper, you may want to reference an image that you found on Google images. Regardless of the citation style you're using, you aren't going to cite to Google images directly. Rather, you need to click through the image and visit the website where it's found. To cite the image, you would then cite that source. The information in your citation will be similar, but the format will differ depending on whether you're using American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), or Chicago/Turabian citation style.^{[1]XResearch source}

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using APA

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1
List the artist's name. An APA citation always begins with the last name of the author. In the case of an image, you need the last name and first initial (at least) of the person who designed or created the image you want to cite.^{[2]XResearch source}
- In your full entry on your reference list, you'll include this person's last name first, followed by a comma, then their first and middle initials (if available). For example: "Dingle, L."
- Going to the main website may get you the person's name, or you may have to do a bit more digging. Always try to find the name of the person who created the image. If you are unable to determine the artist's name after a reasonable search, you can leave this information out and start with the title instead.
2
Provide the date the image was published. After the artist's name, the year the image was created or published should appear in parentheses. This is another element that may be difficult to find when using an online image.^{[3]XResearch source}
- For example: "Dingle, L. (2016)."
- If you can right-click on the image, it may give you additional information, including a date. The date also may be available in the text surrounding the image.
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3
Include the title and format of the image. If the creator of the image has given it a title, include that in regular type, capitalizing words as you would in a normal sentence. If the image is untitled, provide a brief description of the image in square brackets.^{[4]XResearch source}
- For example: "Dingle, L. (2016). [Untitled photograph of Sydney Harbor]."
- If the image is titled, provide the title in regular type, capitalizing on the first word of the title and any proper nouns. For example: "Dingle, L. (2016). Sydney Opera House – Vivid 2016."
4
Give a direct link to the website where you found the image. The point of your citation is to enable your readers to find the work you cited as easily as possible. Your link should point as closely as possible to the exact image you used. Try to find a permalink, since content can shift. Include the date you accessed the image.^{[5]XResearch source}
- There is no period at the end of the URL that closes your citation. Dates are in month-day-year format with no abbreviations.
- For example: "Dingle, L. (2016). Sydney Opera House – Vivid 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2017 from http://photography.rakuli.com/landscapes"
5
Use the artist's last name and the year of publication for in-text citations. When you mention the image in the text of your research paper, you typically must include a parenthetical citation that will direct readers back to the full citation in your reference list.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Standard form is "last name, year." For example: "(Dingle, 2016)"
- If you were unable to find the artist's name, use whatever information comes first in your full citation. For titles, you can use a keyword – just make sure it's a keyword that will take your readers to the correct citation.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Chicago Style

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1
State the artist's name. With a Chicago or Turabian full citation, you always want to start with the name of the person that created the image, if you can find it. Present the name in "last name, first name" format.^{[7]XResearch source}
- For example: "Dingle, Luke."
2
Provide the date the image was created. Following the artist's name, provide the date the image was created or published. You may be able to find this information on the website, or by right-clicking the image.^{[8]XResearch source}
- For Chicago style, you need a full date in month-date-year format, if you can find it. If not, include as much information as you have.
- For example: "Dingle, Luke. June 2016."
3
Include the title of the image. The next part of your Chicago or Turabian citation provides the reader with the title of the image. Use sentence-style capitalization, capitalizing the first word of the title and any proper nouns.^{[9]XResearch source}
- For example: "Dingle, Luke. June 2016. Sydney Opera House – Vivid 2016."
- If the image is untitled, provide a brief description of the image so the reader can locate it on the page. For example: "Dingle, Luke. 2016. Untitled image of Sydney Harbor."
4
Indicate where the image can be found. In the last part of your full citation, provide a direct link to the URL where the image is located online, along with the title of the website itself. Chicago style does not require you to list the date you accessed the image.^{[10]XResearch source}
- For example: "Dingle, Luke. June 2016. Sydney Opera House – Vivid 2016. From Photography by Luke Dingle,http://photography.rakuli.com/landscapes."
5
Use the author-date system for in-text citations. Chicago and Turabian have two methods of in-text citation. You may use footnotes, or you may use parenthetical citations in the text itself that point the reader back to the full citation in your bibliography or reference list.^{[11]XResearch source}
- If you're using parenthetical citation, you would list the artist's last name and the year the image was created. For example: "(Dingle, 2016)."
- If you don't have the artist's last name, use the first words contained in your full citation, or a keyword that would accurately point the reader to the correct full citation.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using MLA

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1
Start with the artist's name. Try to find the full name of the person who created the image and use it to start your citation in "last name, first name" format. Avoid using initials if possible.^{[12]XResearch source}
- For example: "Dingle, Luke."
2
Provide the title of the image. The next piece of information in your MLA citation is the title of the image you're citing. If the image is a work of art, such as a painting or a photograph, put the title in italics.
- For example: "Dingle, Luke. Sydney Opera House – Vivid 2016."
- If the image is untitled, provide a brief description of the image in regular type. For example: "Dingle, Luke. Untitled photograph of Sydney Harbor."
3
Include the date the image was created. If the image is online, you need a specific date in month-day-year format, if available. For physical works of art, such as paintings or photographs, you only need the copyright year.
- For example: "Dingle, Luke. Sydney Opera House – Vivid 2016. 2016."
- If you cannot find a date the image was created or published, use the abbreviation "n.d." in place of the date.
- You may be citing an online image of a physical work of art. In that case, you need to also provide the location where that work is housed, if possible. For example: "Klee, Paul. Twittering Machine. 1922. Museum of Modern Art, New York."^{[13]XResearch source}
4
Provide information about where you found the image online. For the last part of your MLA citation, provide a direct link to the page where the image is located online, as well as the date you accessed the image.^{[14]XResearch source}
- Include the name of the website in italics, followed by the URL. Then put a period and start a new sentence to provide the date you accessed the image in month-day-year format.
- For example: "Dingle, Luke. Sydney Opera House – Vivid 2016. 2016. Photography by Luke Dingle, photography.rakuli.com/landscapes. Accessed October 12, 2017."
- When you include a URL, you only need the www.- part of the address for an MLA citation – you can leave off the part that starts "http://" or "https://."
5
Use a signal phrase in text. Online sources typically don't require a parenthetical citation in MLA style when you discuss them in your paper. Instead, mention enough information in the text that the reader could locate the full citation in your "Works Cited."^{[15]XResearch source}
- For example, "The colors and lights of Sydney's annual Vivid festival are demonstrated in Luke Dingle's photograph of the Sydney Opera House."

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Tips

Always try to find the original creator of an image. Don't just reference the website where you found the image. Try doing an image search to find other copies of the image, or reach out to the website owner to see if you can track down the original creator.
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With online images, it can be difficult to find all the information you need for a citation. If you can't find a piece of information, just skip it and go on to the next part of the citation. Make a good-faith effort to find as much information as you can. Talk to your teacher or a librarian if you need assistance.
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