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Media citations · workflow · MED-02

How to label a figure adapted from another source

In brief: If your figure retains another work's structure, data, visual relationships or central message, identify that source in the caption and describe the use as reproduced, adapted, or your own visualisation based on it. Check scholarly attribution and permission as separate questions. A citation does not itself grant the right to reproduce or modify an image.

Original–adapted–own-figure matrix

Choose a label according to what was reused
Form Defining feature Transparent caption language
Reproduced Visual design and content remain substantially unchanged “Reproduced from …” with source and rights statement
Adapted Elements, order, language or design were altered “Adapted from …” with material changes noted
Own chart from external data You designed the display; another party supplied data “Author's visualisation based on data from …”
Own rendering of an external model You redrew concepts or relationships from a publication “Author's figure based on …” and explain conceptual changes
Wholly original Idea, evidence and design arose from your project “Author's figure”; still cite underlying methods or data where applicable

Changing appearance does not erase provenance

New colours and typography do not make a borrowed diagram original. Ask which intellectual and factual choices remain: categories, arrows, variable selection, sequence and the visual claim. If those features survive, the result is at least an adaptation. Conversely, you may independently design a graph of third-party data, provided that data origin and your transformations are explicit.

Compare source and final image systematically. Which elements were removed, added, regrouped, translated or given different emphasis? Does the new image make a different analytical claim or only look different? Preserve this comparison in an edit note. A reader can then distinguish the source contribution from your interpretation.

Caption patterns that communicate real use

Reproduction: “Figure 3. Stages of the model. Reproduced from Smith (2024, p. 18), © Publisher, used under [licence/permission].” Adaptation: “Figure 4. Simplified process stages. Adapted from Smith (2024, p. 18); labels translated, stage 5 omitted, feedback path added.” New chart: “Figure 5. Distribution by age group. Author's visualisation based on dataset X, version 2.1, table A, DOI …”

Exact punctuation follows your required style. The durable information is source identity, type of use and changes. Add the complete source to the bibliography or data reference list. “Source: internet” cannot identify creator, work, version or location and is therefore not an adequate scholarly trail.

Attribution and permission answer different questions

This is general academic information, not legal advice. The applicable exception, licence or permission depends on jurisdiction, work, purpose, amount and publication context.

Copyright law and licensing rules vary. A scholarly caption does not determine whether an entire figure may be copied or published online. Inspect the source for a licence, contractual terms or a rights statement. Where permission is needed, retain its scope. Creative Commons reuse requires the exact licence version and compliance with its conditions; a NoDerivatives restriction can matter to adaptations, while ShareAlike may affect distribution of modified work.

Quotation exceptions, where available, usually involve a genuine critical or evidential purpose. Decoration is not the same as a figure analysed in the argument. Write one sentence explaining why the figure is necessary. Reassess rights when moving from an internally examined thesis to a repository or commercial publication, because audience and mode of access may change.

Eight-step pre-submission workflow

  1. Preserve the original work, exact location, creator and version.
  2. Classify the reuse with the matrix.
  3. Record removed, translated and added elements.
  4. Check licence, permission or statutory basis separately.
  5. Draft a caption naming type of use and source.
  6. Add the complete reference to the appropriate list.
  7. Connect the image to analysis in the prose.
  8. Compare final figure, source, rights record and bibliography.

Store a dated capture of online licence information because pages can change. A permission record should identify the work, permitted use and distribution scope. Internal decision notes need not all appear in the dissertation, but they should make your conclusion reproducible.

Common errors and corrections

  • “Author's figure” despite external model or data: identify the foundation.
  • “Based on” without a location: add a full short citation and exact source.
  • Only colour changed: describe it as adapted.
  • Citation present, permission unclear: complete the rights check.
  • Licence present, creator omitted: attribution remains necessary.
  • Source inaccessible: never guess page or provenance.

The media citations hub connects other image types. See original figures and source notes for wholly self-created work. The citing sources overview explains short references and bibliographies.

Worked case: simplifying a model

A published diagram contains seven stages. The thesis combines three, removes two and translates the rest. New colours do not erase its inherited architecture, so “adapted from” is accurate. Caption and prose identify omissions and justify simplification.

Check whether removed arrows concealed conditions or feedback. Compare every relationship and record departures. If the result expresses your interpretation, say so rather than attributing it to the source author. Keep a dated source–draft–final comparison. Finally compare title, legend and prose: visual polish must not make the original model appear broader or more certain than the publication supports.

Official guidance

Sources reviewed 4 September 2026. Obtain institution-specific or professional advice for concrete rights decisions.

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