What information needs to be provided when citing pictures or charts?

Citing images or charts necessitates providing sufficient information to uniquely identify and locate the source. This includes core bibliographic details and potential copyright permissions. Essential elements comprise the creator's name, the title or description of the specific figure, the source publication or database title, publication/release year, and location details like page numbers, figure numbers, URLs, database identifiers, or DOIs. Crucially, if the image is copyrighted or requires specific permissions for reuse, the citation must explicitly acknowledge this and note permission grants if applicable. Consistent formatting according to the required citation style guide (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) is mandatory, and details like copyright holder and license type (e.g., CC BY-NC 4.0) should be included when relevant. Providing comprehensive citations for visual material upholds academic integrity by clearly attributing the original creator, thereby avoiding plagiarism. It enables readers and researchers to verify the source data, critically evaluate the information presented in the figure, and potentially locate the original for further study or legitimate reuse under appropriate licensing terms.