Classify the image before choosing citation wording
Ask whether the item is your own visual expression, an adaptation, a new visualisation of someone else’s data or a direct reproduction. These categories can overlap, so a label such as “author’s figure” may be incomplete. A caption should reveal the source layer, your contribution and any crop, translation, annotation or reconstruction that affects interpretation.
Run rights and ethics checks as separate tasks. A full reference helps a reader identify the material but does not grant permission. Licence terms, statutory exceptions, consent, privacy and the audience for the final work can all matter. The guides provide documentation methods and general information, not a legal determination for a particular publication.
1. Build consistent records for figures and tables
This pathway begins with authorship and transformation. An original drawing may depend on cited evidence. An adapted figure should communicate how closely it follows its model. Charts and tables need both a source for the underlying information and a description of the choices made during re-presentation. The image list should agree with captions and full references.
2. Establish the status of material supplied by others
Do not infer reuse rights from search-engine visibility. An image quotation needs an actual critical or analytical relationship. Creative Commons attribution depends on the specific licence. Public-domain statements require a reliable object record. Stock sites and collecting institutions may attach conditions to particular files, accounts, territories or publication formats.
3. Document compound objects and accessible alternatives
A photograph of an artwork contains information about both the photograph and the depicted work. A logo remains an identifiable sign even when copied from an official site. Online map extracts are tied to a changing service and selected viewport. Software screenshots require a capture state. Accessible figures add a functional text alternative tailored to what the image communicates.
4. Preserve the version and context of dynamic media
Generated images and platform objects are especially vulnerable to missing provenance. Record the generating workflow, account, upload, edition, timecode or visible version markers as appropriate. Keep the original research capture distinct from the cropped, annotated or redacted publication file. Where authorship is uncertain, state what the evidence proves rather than naming a convenient uploader as creator.