can you put a picture in a research paper

• Master Your Homework
• Do My Homework

Including Pictures in a Research Paper: Pros & Cons

The inclusion of visual elements such as images, diagrams, and graphs can be a powerful tool in effectively communicating the main points of a research paper. In this article, we discuss both the potential benefits and drawbacks to consider when deciding whether or not to include pictures within one’s research paper. Through an examination of the evidence that exists on this topic, along with highlighting perspectives from experts in various fields, we will provide readers with pertinent information for making decisions about using visuals as part of their written work.

I. Introduction

Ii. the benefits of including pictures in a research paper, iii. factors to consider when inserting an image into a research paper, iv. negative aspects of images in research papers, v. strategies for finding appropriate and legitimate sources for pictures used within academic writing, vi. techniques for citing images correctly in mla formatting style, vii conclusion.

When embarking on any academic journey, it’s important to consider the importance of an introduction . Introductions not only offer a way for readers to grasp the main idea of a paper quickly and easily, but they also provide an opportunity for authors to draw in their audience through engaging writing.

Including images is one way that research papers can effectively engage readers. Adding visuals can help break up long passages or enhance explanations of key concepts throughout a text. For example, if discussing complicated processes related to biology or chemistry, diagrams may be included within the body of work as visual aids which explain more complex information.

• Pictures : adding relevant imagery can be extremely helpful when attempting to demonstrate difficult topics.

A picture is worth a thousand words. This saying applies to research papers as well, which can be greatly enhanced by incorporating the right visuals. There are several benefits of including pictures in a research paper.

• Gives Your Paper Depth: Incorporating relevant photos and diagrams into your paper allows you to provide more detail about the topic than just words alone could accomplish. Pictures can help break up long sections of text, adding visual interest for readers who may not have time or energy to devote solely to reading your entire piece. Plus, since most humans process images faster than they do language-based content, it’s likely that your audience will gain a better understanding of what you’re trying to convey with an image instead.
• Can Enhance Understanding: The addition of meaningful images alongside scientific data helps readers comprehend complex topics more quickly and easily without having any prior knowledge on those subjects; this makes them particularly helpful when discussing difficult concepts like thermodynamics or quantum mechanics.

When incorporating an image into a research paper, there are several factors to consider. First , one must determine if the chosen image is relevant to the argument being made in the paper. For example, inserting a photograph of an historic building alongside evidence about its past inhabitants will add clarity and visual interest to this discussion. Moreover, readers can draw further connections between ideas or learn more about certain topics simply by viewing associated images.

Second , it is important that any visuals used within a research paper are properly cited according to style guidelines established by the academic institution or journal publishing outlet – plagiarism rules still apply! This ensures proper attribution for artistic work included in your writing and prevents readers from misinterpreting where source material has come from.

• Can a research paper have pictures? Absolutely – as long as they have been sourced responsibly.

Lastly, always ensure that images complement rather than distract from text; while some visuals may be striking on their own, too many colorful diagrams or photographs could create confusion around main points being conveyed in written form. Remember: it’s not enough just to include an image—it should also provide clear value when paired with related content throughout your document.

One of the key considerations when producing a research paper is the use of images. While photographs and illustrations can add value to written content, it’s important that researchers understand both the positive and negative implications they may bring.

• Lack of Detail

In many cases, photos used in research papers provide an overall idea or concept but don’t offer much detail. It’s possible that using additional figures would be beneficial for illustrating certain aspects not fully understood from just one image. In other words, if you’re aiming to explain a complicated concept, relying solely on pictures could cause readers to misinterpret your intentions – something which should be avoided at all costs!

• Can You Include Pictures?

When writing up research papers with any kind of visual aid such as diagrams or charts – there are two main options available: including them within the text body itself or linking out to external sources like websites hosting these resources online. The former requires more effort due to formatting requirements; while links take users away from reading material so must only be used where appropriate. Despite this though, providing visuals still has its place within academic literature; giving readers greater understanding into complex topics being discussed throughout by complementing theoretical ideas with tangible evidence presented via imaging tools.

Using Online Databases In the digital age, much of our research material is found on online databases. While these are incredibly useful for finding accurate and legitimate information from reliable sources, they can also be used to locate appropriate images. Many academic journals and other publications provide access to an array of photographs or diagrams which support their text. When searching through any online database, it’s important to ensure that whatever photos you use are permitted for educational purposes; often websites will contain a disclaimer specifying what usage rights have been granted.

Reputable Publishers & Digital Image Banks Another way of obtaining pictures related to your topic is by accessing reputable publishers’ collections or using digital image banks such as Getty Images and Unsplash which offer free downloads (under certain conditions). Using books specifically written about the subject matter may help too – some authors include illustrations in their writing so they could act as great visual aids when discussing a particular issue within your paper! Additionally, can a research paper have pictures? Yes – providing each photo is appropriately cited according to acceptable academic referencing standards alongside being labeled correctly with captions describing its context in relation to the given text.

Correctly Citing Images

Citations are a critical part of all academic writing, and it is essential to know how to cite an image correctly in MLA format. In the same way that you would include information from a book or journal article, citing images provides credit for visual sources so readers can track down the originals.

• Images taken from websites require both copyright and permission statements when published online. Include links with each image citation as well as any relevant source details such as author name or publisher.
• Image files like photos, illustrations and charts should be labeled with captions that identify them as figures along with titles or descriptions.

In this paper, we explored the potential of using pictures in research. To summarize:

• Pictures can be valuable elements to a successful research study.
• Images used should have educational value and not solely decorative use.

When considering images for inclusion in one’s work, it is important to carefully consider their impact on the message being delivered. When included thoughtfully they can contribute significantly by conveying an idea with more clarity than text alone ever could. But when selected poorly or abused too frequently, they may detract from a reader’s overall understanding and experience of your work – ultimately damaging its effectiveness as persuasive evidence.

The inclusion of visual elements in a research paper can often times be beneficial to its content. Through the integration of pictures, graphs and diagrams, authors are able to more effectively communicate their ideas while also providing readers with additional insight into the topic at hand. However, it is important for researchers to understand both the pros and cons associated with incorporating visuals into their work so that they may make an informed decision regarding how best to utilize them within their own papers. In this way, not only does including images add value from a narrative perspective but also helps elevate overall scholarship standards by ensuring sound conclusions are drawn based on tangible evidence whenever possible.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to content

How to include pictures in a research paper

It is often said that a picture can speak more than a thousand words. In all kinds of research papers, pictures are essential in adding to the richness of the literature and analysis because of the valuable insight they can offer. For example, pictures of measured data from statistical applications are very important additions to the “Data presentation and analysis” chapter or section of any research paper.

This is because they help to complement verbal discussions or analysis by offering a visual presentation of the statistical technique used to measure the variables of interest. However, where the researcher is not the originator of such pictures, it is very important to cite the source of the picture according to the prescribed format. In the case of statistical applications mentioned above, for example, be sure to disclose which application generated the picture or printout as well as the version of such an application (e.g., SPSS version 27).   

What is a research paper?

A research paper is a form of academic writing which involves formally investigating a field of knowledge or topic of interest in order to add to the existing stock of knowledge in that field and/or solve a particular problem. Educational research is formal because it is not based on the subjective discretions of the researcher but on an accepted and objective standard such as the scientific method of inquiry. Research papers can be of different types. These include term papers, seminar presentations, undergraduate projects, post-graduate thesis or dissertations, conference/workshop papers, and journal entries, among others.

Though these highlighted papers and others can be structured in diverse ways, conducting research in this context basically requires that the researcher identifies a problem or area of interest; formulates research questions and/or hypothesis; reviews the existing literature in the field; collects, measures and analyzes relevant data; discusses the findings; makes conclusions and recommendations based on the findings and then suggests possible directions for future research.

Some things to consider before including pictures in a research paper

As noted above, pictures can complement words to make a research paper richer in terms of providing more insight. However, the researcher must ensure that such pictures are optimally included to generate the desired effects. To this end, some of the tips below can help.

Ensure the picture adds value to your research paper

Pictures may be a necessary aspect of some research papers but this does not imply that they should not be selected meticulously and meritoriously. The researcher must critically evaluate all pictures he or she intends to include in their paper and select only the most relevant, i.e., those that will help illuminate verbal discussions/analysis and consequently deepen the understanding of readers.   

Proper labeling and citation

Research papers are formal documents with rules on how each of them should be written, structured, or formatted. Therefore, ensure that your pictures are labeled according to the rules provided by whoever the paper is meant for (such as a university department or a print journal). The rules are usually determined by Style Guides like the Modern Language Association (MLA), the American Psychological Association, etc. Properly citing the sources of any picture you have borrowed is necessary to enable you avoid plagiarism.

Pictures should be suitably located

After toiling hard to gather the pictures needed for his or her research, the researcher should ensure that the selected pictures are appropriately inserted into the desired areas of the paper. In some social science projects and theses, for example, a tabular presentation of the data used for the research is located on the first page of the fourth chapter titled “Data presentation and analysis.”

Sometimes the researcher may have several pictures that cannot all be accommodated in the main body of a project or thesis/dissertation. In such instances, it will be appropriate to attach such pictures in the “Appendices” section at the end of the paper.

Carry the images along

The pictures do not serve as mere decorations but have been selected to help provide more insight and thus enrich the research paper. To this end, the researcher should ensure that the pictures are properly integrated into the verbal discussions or analysis in the paper.  For example, “Figure 1.0 is a graphical representation of all the differenced variables in the time series.” etc.

Citing pictures in a research paper

There are many kinds of pictures as well as picture sources and they can also be cited in a variety of ways. For simplicity, the examples in this article will focus entirely on how to cite digital (internet) pictures.

Format: Image Creator’s Last Name, First Name. “Image Title.”  Website Name , Day Month Year Published, URL.  

Example: Jones, Daniel. “The Hope Creek nuclear plant.” LearnersHub ,  9 November 2017, www.learnershub.net/2017/09/11/nuclear-technology-explained.html.

Chicago style

Format: Last Name, First Name. M [initials]. “Title.” Digital image. Website Title. Month Date, Year published. Accessed Month Date, Year. URL.

If the picture has no title, then a description can be used instead.

Date Accessed should only be included if the publication date is unavailable.

Example: Jones, Daniel R. “The Hope Creek nuclear plant.”Digital image. LearnersHub ,  Accessed 9 November 2017. www.learnershub.net.

Format: Author’s last name. First initial. (Publication or creation date). Title of image [Type of image]. Name of publisher. Museum or university. URL.

Example: Jones,  R. 2017.   The Hope Creek nuclear plant .[Photo]. National Science Museum. https//:www.nationalsciencemsuem.org/nuclearscience/2017/11/the-hope-creek-nuclear-plant.jpg.

Pictures of all kinds (including tables, charts, graphs, figures, photographs, etc) are useful components in a research paper. This is because of the insight they can bring by complementing verbal discussions and analysis. However, pictures should not be included in a research paper arbitrarily but follow some guidelines such as those presented above.

You may also like

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Privacy Overview

Adding {{itemName}} to cart

Added {{itemName}} to cart

• USC Libraries
• Research Guides

Using Images and Non-Textual Materials in Presentations, Papers, Theses, and Dissertations

• Documenting and Citing Images
• Finding Images - Select Sources

Documenting and Citing Images/Photographs and Their Sources

Please note that this is advice on best practices and considerations in documenting and citing images and non-print materials. It does not represent legal advice on obtaining permissions.

Generally, images copied from other sources should not be used without permissions in publications or for commercial purposes. Many American academic institutions require graduate students to archive their finished and approved theses/dissertations in institutional electronic repositories and/or institutional libraries and repositories, and/or to post them on Proquest's theses database. Unpublished theses and dissertations are a form of scholarly dissemination. Someone else's images, like someone else's ideas, words or music, should be used with critical commentary, and need to be identified and cited. If a thesis/dissertation is revised for publication,  waivers or permissions from the copyright holder(s) of the images and non-textual materials must be obtained. Best practices also apply to materials found on the internet and on social media, and, properly speaking, require identification, citation, and clearance of permissions, as relevant.

Use the following elements when identifying and citing an image, depending on the information you have available . It is your responsibility to do due diligence and document as much as possible about the image you are using:

• Artist's/creator's name, if relevant;
• Title of the work/image, if known, or description;
• Ownership information (such as a person, estate, museum, library collection) and source of image;
• Material, if known, particularly for art works;
• Dimensions of the work, if known.

The Chicago Manual of Style online can be searched for norms on appropriate ways to caption illustrations, capitalize titles of visual works, or cite print materials that contain images.

Including images/photographs in a bibliography:

Best practice is to not include images within a bibliography of works cited. It is common, instead, to create a separate list of images (or figures) and their source, such as photographer (even if it's you) or collection. It may be useful to also include location, e.g., museum, geographic reference, address, etc.

Examples of Documenting Images

The image below is scanned from a published book. It can be used in a critical context within a presentation, classroom session, or  paper/thesis, as follows:

[ Figure 1. This photograph from 1990 shows the Monument against Fascism designed by Jochen Gerz and Esther Shalev-Gerz, Hamburg, 1986-1993. Image from James Young, ed.,  Art of Memory: Holocaust Memorials in History (New York: Prestel, 1994), 70]

If you need to use this image in a published work, you will have to seek permission. For example, the book from which this image was scanned should have a section on photo credits which would help you identify the person/archive holding this image.

The image below was found through Google Images and downloaded from the internet. It can be used in a critical context within a presentation,  classroom session, or paper/thesis, as follows:

[Figure 2. This image shows the interior of Bibliotheca Alexandrina designed by the Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta in 2001. Image downloaded from https://mgkhs.com/gallery/alexandria in March 2016.]

If you want to use this image in a published work, you will have to do your best to track down its source to request permission to use. The web site or social media site where you found the image may not be an appropriate source, since it is common for people to repost images without attribution. Just because "everyone does it" does not mean that you should be using such materials without attribution or documentation. In this specific example, you may need to write to the photographer or to the architecture firm. If you have done due diligence and were unable to find the source, or have not received a response, you may be able to use an image found on the internet with appropriate documentation in a publication.

The image below was downloaded from a digitized historic collection of photographs held by an institutional archive. It can be used in a critical context within a presentation,  classroom session, or paper/thesis, as follows:

[Figure 3. In the 1920s the urban landscape of Los Angeles started to change, as various developers began building multi-family apartment houses in sections previously zoned for single family dwellings. Seen in this photograph by Dick Whittington is the Warrington apartment building, which was completed in 1928, surrounded by older single family structures. Downloaded from the USC Digital Library in February 2016]

I f you plan to use this photograph in a publication, seek permission from the library/institution from whose digital archive you downloaded the image. Contact information is usually found in the record for the image.

The image below was taken by the author. It can be used in a critical context within a presentation, classroom session , paper/thesis, or a publication* as follows:

[Figure 4. Genex Tower, also known as West City Gate, is a residential tower located in New Belgrade. This example of late 20th century brutalist-style architecture was designed in 1977 by Mihajlo Mitrović. Photographed by the author in 2013.]

*Please note, if you re-photographed someone else's photograph or a work of art, or if you re-photographed a published image, you may not be able to publish your photograph without first seeking permission or credit for its content.  If you have done due diligence and were unable to find the source or have not received a response, you may be able to use your image with appropriate documentation.

• << Previous: Fair Use
• Next: Finding Images - Select Sources >>
• Last Updated: Jan 19, 2023 3:12 PM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/fair_use

• Resources Home 🏠
• Try SciSpace Copilot
• Search research papers
• Add Copilot Extension
• Try AI Detector
• Try Paraphraser
• Try Citation Generator
• April Papers
• June Papers
• July Papers

How to cite images and graphs in your research paper

Table of Contents

If you are confused about whether you should include pictures, images, charts, and other non-textual elements in your research paper or not, I would suggest you must insert such elements in your research paper. Including non-textual elements like images and charts in the research paper helps extract a higher acceptance of your proposed theories.

An image or chart will make your research paper more attractive, interesting, explanatory, and understandable for the audience. In addition, when you cite an image or chart, it helps you describe your research and its parts with far more precision than simple, long paragraphs.

There are plenty of reasons why you should cite images in your research paper. However, most scholars and academicians avoid it altogether, losing the opportunity to make their research papers more interesting and garner higher readership.

Additionally, it has been observed that there are many misconceptions around the use or citation of images in research papers. For example, it is widely believed and practiced that using pictures or any graphics in the research papers will render it unprofessional or non-academic. However, in reality, no such legit rules or regulations prohibit citing images or any graphic elements in the research papers.

You will find it much easier once you know the appropriate way to cite images or non-textual elements in your research paper. But, it’s important to keep in mind some rules and regulations for using different non-textual elements in your research paper. You can easily upgrade your academic/ research writing skills by leveraging various guides in our repository.

In this guide, you will find clear explanations and guidelines that will teach you how to identify appropriate images and other non-textual elements and cite them in your research paper. So, cut the clutter; let’s start.

Importance of citing images in a research paper

Although it’s not mandatory to cite images in a research paper, however, if you choose to include them, it will help showcase your deep understanding of the research topic. It can even represent the clarity you carry for your research topic and help the audience navigate your paper easily.

There are several reasons why you must cite images in your research paper like:

(i) A better explanation for the various phenomenon

While writing your research paper, certain topics will be comparatively more complex than others. In such a scenario where you find out that words are not providing the necessary explanation, you can always switch to illustrating the process using images. For example, you can write paragraphs describing climate change and its associated factors and/or cite a single illustration to describe the complete process with its embedded factors.

(ii) To simplify examples

To create an impeccable research paper, you need to include evidence and examples supporting your argument for the research topic. Rather than always explaining the supporting evidence and examples through words, it will be better to depict them through images. For example, to demonstrate climate change's effects on a region, you can always showcase and cite the “before and after” images.

(iii) Easy Classification

If your research topic requires segregation into various sub-topics and further, you can easily group and classify them in the form of a classification tree or a chart. Providing such massive information in the format of a classification tree will save you a lot of words and present the information in a more straightforward and understandable form to your audience.

(iv) Acquire greater attention from the audience

Including images in your research paper, theses, and dissertations will help you garner the audience's greater attention. If you add or cite images in the paper, it will provide a better understanding and clarification of the topics covered in your research. Additionally, it will make your research paper visually attractive.

Types of Images that you can use or cite in your research paper

Using and citing images in a research paper as already explained can make your research paper more understanding and structured in appearance. For this, you can use photos, drawings, charts, graphs, infographics, etc. However, there are no mandatory regulations to use or cite images in a research paper, but there are some recommendations as per the journal style.

Before including any images in your research paper, you need to ensure that it fits the research topic and syncs with your writing style. As already mentioned, there are no strict regulations around the usage of images. However, you should make sure that it satisfies certain parameters like:

• Try using HD quality images for better picture clarity in both print and electronic formats
• It should not be copyrighted, and if it is, you must obtain the license to use it. In short cite the image properly by providing necessary credits to its owner
• The image should satisfy the context of the research topic

You can cite images in your research paper either at the end, in between the topics, or in a separate section for all the non-textual elements used in the paper. You can choose to insert images in between texts, but you need to provide the in-text citations for every image that has been used.

Additionally, you need to attach the name, description and image number so that your research paper stays structured. Moreover, you must cite or add the copyright details of the image if you borrow images from other platforms to avoid any copyright infringement.

Graphs and Charts

You can earn an advantage by providing better and simple explanations through graphs and charts rather than wordy descriptions. There are several reasons why you must cite or include graphs and charts in your research paper:

• To draw a comparison between two events, phenomena, or any two random parameters
• Illustration of statistics through charts and graphs are most significant in drawing audience attention towards your research topic
• Classification tree or pie charts goes best to show off the degree of influence of a specific event, or phenomenon in your research paper

With the usage of graphs and charts, you can answer several questions of your readers without them even questioning. With charts and graphs, you can provide an immense amount of information in a brief yet attractive manner to your readers, as these elements keep them interested in your research topic.

Providing these non-textual elements in your research paper increases its readability. Moreover, the graphs and charts will drive the reader’s attention compared to text-heavy paragraphs.

You can easily use the graphs or charts of some previously done research in your chosen domain, provided that you cite them appropriately, or else you can create your graphs through different tools like Canva, Excel, or MS PowerPoint. Additionally, you must provide supporting statements for the graphs and charts so that readers can understand the meaning of these illustrations easily.

Similarly, like pictures or images, you can choose one of the three possible methods of placement in your research paper, i.e., either after the text or on a different page right after the corresponding paragraph or inside the paragraph itself.

How to Cite Images and Graphs in a Research Paper?

Once you have decided the type of images you will be using in your paper, understand the rules of various journals for the fair usage of these elements. Using pictures or graphs as per these rules will help your reader navigate and understand your research paper easily. If you borrow or cite previously used pictures or images, you need to follow the correct procedure for that citation.

Usage or citation of pictures or graphs is not prohibited in any academic writing style, and it just differs from each other due to their respective formats.

Cite an Image/Graphs in APA (American Psychological Association) style

Most of the scientific works, society, and media-based research topics are presented in the APA style. It is usually followed by museums, exhibitions, galleries, libraries, etc. If you create your research paper in APA style and cite already used images or graphics, you need to provide complete information about the source.

In APA style, the list of the information that you must provide while citing an element is as follows:

• Owner of the image (artist, designer, photographer, etc.)
• Complete Date of the Image: Follow the simple DD/MM/YYYY to provide the details about the date of the image. If you have chosen a certain historical image, you can choose to provide the year only, as the exact date or month may be unknown
• Country or City where the Image was first published
• A Name or Title of the Image (Optional: Means If it is not available, you can skip it)
• Publisher Name: Organization, association, or the person to whom the image was first submitted

If you want to cite some images from the internet, try providing its source link rather than the name or webpage.

Format/Example of Image Citation:

Johanson, M. (Photographer). (2017, September, Vienna, Austria. Rescued bird. National gallery.

Cite an Image/Graphs in MLA (Modern Language Association) style

MLA style is again one of the most preferred styles worldwide for research paper publication. You can easily use or cite images in this style provided no rights of the image owner get violated. Additionally, the format or the information required for citation or usage is very brief yet precise.

In the MLA style, the following are the details that a used image or graph must carry:

• Name of the creator of the owner
• Title, Name, or the Description of the Image
• Website Or the Source were first published
• Contributors Name (if any)
• Version or Serial Number (if any)
• Publisher’s Details; at least Name must be provided
• Full Date (DD:MM: YYYY) of the first published Image
• Link to the original image

Auteur, Henry. “Abandoned gardens, Potawatomi, Ontario.” Historical Museum, Reproduction no. QW-YUJ78-1503141, 1989, www.flickr.com/pictures/item/609168336/

Final Words

It is easy to cite images in your research paper, and you should add different forms of non-textual elements in the paper. There are different rules for using or citing images in research papers depending on writing styles to ensure that your paper doesn’t fall for copyright infringement or the owner's rights get violated.

No matter which writing style you choose to write your paper, make sure that you provide all the details in the appropriate format. Once you have all the details and understanding of the format of usage or citation, feel free to use as many images that make your research paper intriguing and interesting enough.

If you still have doubts about how to use or cite images, join our SciSpace (Formerly Typeset) Community and post your questions there. Our experts will address your queries at the earliest. Explore the community to know what's buzzing and be a part of hot discussion topics in the academic domain.

Learn more about SciSpace's dedicated research solutions by heading to our product page. Our suite of products can simplify your research workflows so that you can focus more on what you do best: advance science.

With a best-in-class solution, you can handle everything from literature search and discovery to profile management, research writing, and formatting.

But Before You Go,

You might also like.

Consensus GPT vs. SciSpace GPT: Choose the Best GPT for Research

Literature Review and Theoretical Framework: Understanding the Differences

Types of Essays in Academic Writing

TODAY'S HOURS:

Using Images in Research and Presentations

Introduction, quick tips about finding and using images.

• Finding Images
• Using Images
• Citing Images

Would it bother you if someone went on your Instagram, copied your pictures, and then sold them for money without asking?

Probably, so you shouldn't do it either. But that's what we're doing when we use images from a Google Image search or other simple search without being careful! Luckily there are many ways to find great images without violating the rights of artists, photographers, or organizations.

• A reminder that your Instagram photos aren’t really yours: Someone else can sell them for $90,000 (Washington Post)
• Most images on the Web are copyrighted, even if they don't say so, and only the holder of the copyright can grant permission for use of the image.
• In some ;cases the use of an image may be covered by Fair Use, especially for educational purposes;(see Using Images tab ).
• To avoid copyright infringement, look for images that are in the Public Domain or have a Creative Commons license that allows for reuse (see Finding Images tab ).
• Most web search engines offer image search options and ways to limit results to images with a Creative Commons license or in the Public Domain (see Finding Images tab ).
• Graphs, charts, and other data representations are considered images and should be cited if they originally appeared in another source.
• No matter where you get your image, be sure to attribute and cite it correctly, both within your paper or presentation and in your bibliography or works cited list (see Citing Images tab ).
• If YOU are the creator, illustrator, or photographer of your image, you own the copyright and do not need to cite yourself.
• Next: Finding Images >>
• Last Updated: Mar 21, 2024 3:46 PM
• URL: https://libguides.umflint.edu/images

• Privacy Policy

Buy Me a Coffee

Home » Figures in Research Paper – Examples and Guide

Figures in Research Paper – Examples and Guide

Table of Contents

Figures in Research Paper

Figures play an essential role in research papers as they provide a visual representation of data, results, and concepts presented in the text. Figures can include graphs, charts, diagrams, photographs, and other visual aids that enhance the reader’s understanding of the research.

Importance of Figures in Research Paper

Here are some specific ways in which figures can be important in a research paper:

• Visual representation of data : Figures can be used to present data in a clear and concise way. This makes it easier for readers to understand the results of experiments and studies.
• Simplify complex ideas: Some concepts can be difficult to explain using words alone. Figures can be used to simplify complex ideas and make them more accessible to a wider audience.
• Increase reader engagement : Figures can make a research paper more engaging and interesting to read. They break up long blocks of text and can make the paper more visually appealing.
• Support arguments: Figures can be used to support arguments made in the paper. For example, a graph or chart can be used to show a correlation between two variables, providing evidence for a particular hypothesis.
• Convey important information: Figures can be used to convey important information quickly and efficiently. This is particularly useful when the paper is being read by someone who is short on time and needs to quickly understand the main points.

Types of Figures in Research Paper

There are several types of figures commonly used in research papers, including:

• Line graphs: These are used to show trends or changes in data over time.
• Bar graphs: These are used to compare data across different categories or groups.
• Pie charts: These are used to show proportions or percentages of data.
• Scatterplots : These are used to show the relationship between two variables.
• Tables : These are used to present large amounts of data in a structured format.
• Photographs or images : These are used to provide visual context or examples of the research being presented.
• Diagrams or schematics : These are used to illustrate complex processes or systems.

How to add Figures to Research Paper

Adding figures to a research paper can be a great way to visually convey important information to the reader. Here are some general guidelines for adding figures to your research paper:

• Determine the appropriate type of figure: Depending on the information you want to convey, you may want to use a graph, chart, table, photograph, or other type of figure.
• Label the figure: Give your figure a descriptive title and number it. Also, include a brief caption that explains what the figure shows.
• Place the figure in the appropriate location : Generally, figures should be placed as close as possible to the text that refers to them. For example, if you mention a figure in the middle of a paragraph, it should be placed within that paragraph.
• Format the figure appropriately: Ensure that the figure is clear and easy to read. Use consistent fonts and font sizes, and make sure the figure is large enough to be easily seen.
• Cite the source of the figure: If the figure was not created by you, you must cite the source of the figure in your paper. This includes citing the author or creator, the date of creation, and any relevant publication information.
• Consider copyright : Ensure that you have permission to use any figures that are copyrighted. If the figure is copyrighted, you may need to obtain permission from the copyright holder to use it in your paper.

How to Label Figures in Research Paper

Labeling figures in a research paper is an important task that helps readers to understand the content of the paper. Here are the steps to label figures in a research paper:

• Decide on the numbering system: Before labeling the figures, decide on the numbering system that you want to use. Typically, figures are numbered consecutively throughout the paper, with the first figure being labeled as “Figure 1,” the second figure as “Figure 2,” and so on.
• Choose a clear and concise caption: A caption is a brief description of the figure that appears below the figure. It should be clear and concise and should describe the content of the figure accurately. The caption should be written in a way that readers can understand the figure without having to read the entire paper.
• Place the label and caption appropriately: The label and caption should be placed below the figure. The label should be centered and should include the figure number and a brief title. The caption should be placed below the label and should describe the figure in detail.
• Use consistent formatting: Make sure that the formatting of the labels and captions is consistent throughout the paper. Use the same font, size, and style for all figures in the paper.
• Reference figures in the text : When referring to a figure in the text, use the figure number and label. For example, “As shown in Figure 1, the results indicate that…”

Figure 1. Distribution of survey responses

In this example, “Figure 1” is the figure number, and “Distribution of survey responses” is a brief title or description of the figure.

The label should be placed at the top of the figure and should be centered. It should be clear and easy to read. It’s important to use a consistent format for all figures in the paper to make it easier for readers to follow.

Examples of Figures in Research Paper

Examples of Figures in Research Papers or Thesis are as follows:

Line graphs Example

Bar graphs Example

Pie charts Example

Scatterplots Example

Tables Example

Photographs or images Example

Diagrams or schematics Example

Purpose of Figures in Research Paper

Some common purposes of figures in research papers are:

• To summarize data: Figures can be used to present data in a concise and easy-to-understand manner. For example, graphs can be used to show trends or patterns in data, while tables can be used to summarize numerical information.
• To support arguments : Figures can be used to support arguments made in the text of the research paper. For example, a figure showing the results of an experiment can help to demonstrate the validity of the conclusions drawn from the experiment.
• To illustrate concepts: Figures can be used to illustrate abstract or complex concepts that are difficult to explain in words. For example, diagrams or illustrations can be used to show the structure of a complex molecule or the workings of a machine.
• To enhance readability: Figures can make a research paper more engaging and easier to read. By breaking up long blocks of text, figures can help to make the paper more visually appealing and easier to understand.
• To provide context : Figures can be used to provide context for the research being presented. For example, a map or diagram can help to show the location or layout of a study site or experimental setup.
• To compare results : Figures can be used to compare results from different experiments or studies. This can help to highlight similarities or differences in the data and draw comparisons between different research findings.
• To show relationships : Figures can be used to show relationships between different variables or factors. For example, a scatter plot can be used to show the correlation between two variables, while a network diagram can be used to show how different elements are connected to each other.
• To present raw data: Figures can be used to present raw data in a way that is easier to understand. For example, a heat map can be used to show the distribution of data over a geographic region, while a histogram can be used to show the distribution of data within a single variable.

Advantages of Figures in Research Paper

Figures (such as charts, graphs, diagrams, and photographs) are an important component of research papers and offer several advantages, including:

• Enhancing clarity : Figures can help to visually communicate complex data or information in a clear and concise manner. They can help readers better understand the research and its findings.
• Saving space : Figures can often convey information more efficiently than text, allowing researchers to present more information in less space.
• Improving readability : Figures can break up large blocks of text and make a paper more visually appealing and easier to read.
• Supporting arguments: Figures can be used to support arguments made in the text and help to strengthen the overall message of the paper.
• Enabling comparisons: Figures can be used to compare different data points, which can be difficult to do with text alone. This can help readers to see patterns and relationships in the data more easily.
• Providing context : Figures can provide context for the research, such as showing the geographic location of study sites or providing a visual representation of the study population.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Thesis Outline – Example, Template and Writing...

Research Paper Conclusion – Writing Guide and...

Appendices – Writing Guide, Types and Examples

How to Cite Research Paper – All Formats and...

Research Report – Example, Writing Guide and...

Delimitations in Research – Types, Examples and...

• Customer Reviews
• Extended Essays
• IB Internal Assessment
• Theory of Knowledge
• Literature Review
• Dissertations
• Essay Writing
• Research Writing
• Assignment Help
• Capstone Projects
• College Application
• Online Class

Can You Put Pictures in a Research Paper? (Answered!)

by  Antony W

July 6, 2022

The conventional format of a research paper doesn’t have room for pictures. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t include images in your assignment.

You can add non-textual elements such as pictures, charts, vectors, and graphs in your research paper provided they’re relevant to the research question. Such elements are useful because they can make your work not only visually appealing but also more descriptive.  

To be clear, it’s not necessary to include pictures in your research paper. So your professor won’t penalize you or under grade your work if you fail to include non-textual elements in the assignment.

Sometimes, though, it can be very useful to include pictures in your research, and for a number of reasons.

Can a You Put Pictures in a Research Paper? (4 Reasons to Include Them) 

1. Non-textual Elements are Useful for Showing Examples 

The consensus in research paper writing is that students must support claims that they make using logical reason, evidence, and examples. Pictures, and especially illustration and charts, can come in handy in this kind of a scenario. 

Say you’re investigating the effect of a drug on bacterial, for example. In this case, you can use a graph to demonstrate a before and after effect of the experiment.

2. Pictures Help to Explain a Process 

Some research papers involve complex process that you can’t easily explain in words alone. Therefore, adding an illustration can go a long way to make your ideas clear to the audience reading your paper.

3. Pictures Help to Clarify Terms in Research Paper Assignments

A chart or a scheme can help you to explain terms that would be otherwise difficult to explain in words. By using an image in such a scenario, you make terms structured and very easy to understand.  

4. Pictures Can Motivate Readers to Keep Reading

Research papers are long assignments, and sometimes they can be quite tedious to read in one sitting. We’re talking about more than 15 pages of written work, which requires a lot of patience to review from the title page all the way to the appendix.

An effective way to keep your audience reading, regardless of how long your research paper is, is to include relevant images to explain some concepts. Often, the illustrations break the monotony of scanning paragraphs and walls of text, hence keeping the reader attached to the research paper.

What Types of Images Can You Include in a Research Paper? 

1. standard pictures .

We can define a picture as a painting, drawing, or a representation of an object in a photograph.

While there are no strict rules to the type of picture you can use in your research paper, you do have to make sure whatever you choose adequately fits into your writing.

You should also make sure that the picture you choose to include in your research paper is:

• Clear and visible 
• Self-descriptive. Readers should look at the image and know straight away why you included it in the paper.
• Closely related to the context and is within the scope of your research question
• Legal to use. Give credit to the image in your paper if it’s not your own.

There a few rules you need to observe when including pictures in your research paper. Generally, you can:

• Add a picture at the end of the paper, inside the paper separately from the text, or inside the text.
• Each picture must have a name, description, and a number
• Include information about the owner of the picture so you don’t violate their right to their own content.

You don’t have to worry about copyright if the pictures you intend to use in your research paper are your own.

Graphs and Charts 

Graphs and charts can explain complex concepts in few words and they can be quite handy in helping you solve several problems at once.

They are useful especially when you want to:

• Give a graphical illustration of statistics
• Give a detailed comparison between two or more phenomenon or objects
• To show the relationship between variables
• Demonstrate meaning, size, and level of influence of certain phenomena 

The benefit of using charts and graphs is that they make your research paper easy to read. Moreover, by presenting a huge amount of information in a laconic way, readers can easily understand concepts without having to read long text and multiple paragraphs.

For you, the writer, using graphs and charts means ensuring that your paper is more comprehensive and concise – without a trace of unnecessary words or irrelevant materials added to the assignment.

How Do You Cite Images in Your Research Paper? 

It’s very easy to cite an image, chart, or graph in a research paper. All you have to do is to make sure that the image includes:

• The name of the author
• The year the image was taken
• The title of the image
• The format of the image and additional details
• The date you accessed the image
• The source of the image

With this information, it should be easy for you to cite any image that you decide to include in your research paper.

Tips to Use Pictures, Charts, and Graphs in Research Paper 

First, ask your instructor to confirm if it’s appropriate to use pictures, charts, and graphs in your research paper. They’ll give you the necessary information to help you make the right decision.

Focus more on adding charts and graphs in your work, as these tend to be more relevant in illustrating mathematical, economics, and scientific principles.

Don’t use many images in your research paper. As significant as non-textual elements are, using more than you should, unless slowed by the theme of the assignment, isn’t necessary.

You should NOT include a picture in your research paper for decorative purpose. Leave cute captions to blogging platforms such as Medium and Buzzfeed. Make sure the image, graph, or chart that you include in your work relates to the question you wish to investigate in the essay.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

Photographs and Images: Using Images in Theses and Dissertations

• What is Fair Use?

Using Images in Theses and Dissertations

• How to Cite an Image
• Copyright and Publishing an Image in a Book, Journal, Video, etc.
• Images of Albuquerque

Historically, images were reproduced in dissertations and theses without obtaining permissions from the copyright holders. Because of the clearly academic, non-commercial nature of theses and dissertations, and because access to theses and dissertations was typically confined to an academic, library setting, there seemed to be little dispute that the incorporation of such images into these or dissertations was a fair use.

As theses and dissertations began to be posted to online repositories, the publishers of those repositories sometime required that graduate students posting theses to their repositories obtain copyright permissions for images. While UNM's Digital Respository   does not have an institutional policy on the use of images in theses and dissertations, the  UNM Office of Graduate Studies  stipulates that students should obtain copyright.

The Office of Graduate Studies at UNM offers the following guidelines:  

Registering Your Copyright

Registering your copyright in your thesis or dissertation is optional. Under current United States copyright Law, the moment you reduce a work to a tangible medium (i.e., write it on paper, save on hard drive or other storage device, take the photograph, record the music, etc.) your thesis or dissertation is copyrighted. This applies to unpublished manuscripts as well. There is no longer the need to register your work for copyright to attach. Furthermore, there is no longer the requirement of putting a copyright notice on a work for it to be copyrighted. You may register your copyright either by having ProQuest do so (see above) or on your own by submitting a registration form, which you can pick-up at Zimmerman Library Government Publications or download from US Copyright Office's web page, with a check for thirty five ($35) dollars, and two copies of your thesis or dissertation. Additional information can be obtained by calling 202-287-8700 or going to the web site of the  United States Copyright Office .

Including Copyrighted Material in Your Manuscript

You should remember that if you quote or otherwise reproduce in your thesis or dissertation material previously copyrighted by another author, beyond brief excerpts, you must obtain written permission from the copyright owner. Keep in mind that if a work was created in or after 1989, there is no requirement that it have a copyright notice to be copyrighted This includes foreign works and foreign works for which the copyright has been reinstated pursuant to international treaty.

Copyright law is extremely complex and it can be difficult to determine what action you need to take and where to begin looking for permissions. The Office of Graduate Studies  Publishing  web site contains a great deal of information and has been helpful to students. The Office of Graduate Studies does not provide copyright advisement.

Pictorial Archivist

• << Previous: What is Fair Use?
• Next: How to Cite an Image >>
• Last Updated: May 5, 2020 2:46 PM
• URL: https://libguides.unm.edu/images

Images in Research Paper

Have you ever wondered how to insert a picture in a research paper? Well, you are not alone. Our article will explore the top strategies for including pictures in a research paper.

Can you put pictures in a research paper? The answer is Yes.

It's true that pictures in research papers are not really necessary.

However, one photo is the equivalent of a thousand words. In this way, illustrations improve an article’s appearance and add valuable insights. Furthermore, images in research paper complement verbal discussions and are even more valuable for presenting data or analysis.

But, since images in research papers are not an integral part of writing, many struggle with finding & integrating pictures. The reason is that, beyond including photos, the writer must cite them to avoid copyright infringement. So, check out how to cite an image in a research paper and where to find the right images in the sections below.

What is a Research Paper?

A research paper is an academic writing that presents the results of an investigation or study. Unlike most writing types, it is a formal piece. In other words, it is not based on a researcher’s subjective opinion. As a result, the article provides a detailed analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of a topic. There are different research paper types that include:

• Term papers.
• Seminar presentations.
• Undergraduate projects.
• Pot-graduate theses or dissertations.
• Journal entries.
• Conference or workshop papers.

Using Homework Help for Research Papers

Researchers structure articles in different ways, but, despite this, they all revolve around similar processes:

• The scientific paper starts with identifying a problem or interest area.
• The scientist formulates some research questions or hypotheses and reviews existing field literature.
• Additionally, the paper writer measures and analyzes relevant data, discusses findings, and concludes.
• Optionally, the author adds pictures in research paper.
• It ends with recommendations and suggestions on possible directions for future research.

Due to the sheer workload, it can be hard to balance it with all types of academic work and personal life. A good alternative is to hire a writer from PapersOwl research papers writing service, to help you with your homework. Those professionals have experience in different fields, and you can choose the perfect writer for your assignment. With this, you have enough time to manage deadlines and keep your grades up.

Research papers are written by scientists, scholars and researchers in different fields. They include social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, and engineering. So, hire a professional writer or ask for help with homework from your professor when you encounter issues.

How to Include Images in a Research Paper Correctly

Including pictures in scientific papers enhances data presentation, provides concept illustration or demonstrates examples. Use this guide to learn how to include pictures in a research paper accurately:

1. Where to Find Pictures To Include in Research Papers

Start by defining the purpose of the picture in your article. Do you want it to illustrate a concept, support data, or provide an example?

After understanding the specific purpose, investigate different sources. Reputable image sources include online image repositories, academic databases, websites, and scholarly journals .

Public Domain Images

Public domain images are photos and graphics that are available for anyone to use, free of charge. These images have no copyright, either because the copyright expired, or it never had one to begin with.

In the United States, copyright protection usually expires 70 years after the author’s death.

So, if you are looking for free images for educational use, free images for presentations or free images for academic use, check out the sources below.

Websites or platforms such as JSTOR , Wikimedia Commons or Library of Congress have several high-quality free-to-use photo collections.

Free Stock Images

Alternatively, you can use stock images from sites like Pixabay or Unsplash that are free for all types of projects including commercial projects.

IMPORTANT: Some free image databases may still require that you give attribution to the original author in your scientific publication. Track license & author details so you can reference the owner later.

2. What Types of Images To Include in Research Papers

Select a pic that is relevant to the research paper. These pictures must be high-quality, clear, and legible. Below are the types of illustrations you can use:

• Graphs in research paper.
• Photographs in research paper.
• Charts in research paper.
• Screenshots in research paper.

How to create figures for scientific papers? Choose charts & graphs, tables, infographics to present your data visually. There are lots of software that can help you create infographics.

Any visuals you choose must shed light on verbal analysis and deepen the reader’s understanding.

Optimize the image and resize it to fit within the margins. We recommend you use image editing software to adjust contrast, enhance clarity, annotate the picture, add other elements like highlighted text, arrows, etc.

There are different types of image formats that you can choose for your scientific paper:

• Editable images like SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), AI (Adobe Illustrator), EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) . These vector images have high resolution and you can resize them without losing quality.
• Uneditable images like PNG, TIFF, or JPEG . Among these, PNG images with transparent backgrounds are probably the best choice. Try to find images at 300 DPI (Dots Per Inch) that have high resolution and are the right images for printing. If you need to add text, check out my post on how to edit text in image .

It's important that the images you use in a research paper to have high-quality and good resolution (300 dpi for print is recommended) .

3. Where & How to Include Pictures in a Research Paper

Most times, researchers determine where they want a picture to be placed inside a scientific publication.

The most important thing is to use it in a section to promote clarity. For example, close to texts or in a separate section like an appendix. A tabular data presentation is often on the fourth chapter’s first page.

Don’t forget to provide a clear description or image caption to explain the pic’s purpose. Also, assign a label to each illustration for easy in-text referencing. For example, figure 1, 2, or any other desired labeling. Some ways to format a research paper with pictures include:

• Directly embed them within the text.
• Create a separate space in the Figure Section.
• Put them in the appendix.
• Online repository or hyperlinks.
• Supplementary file or digital companion.

4. Refer to the Image in the Text

Assigning numbers to visuals is not sufficient to convey its message. If the goal is to provide clarity, there is a high chance that readers will need to reference the information while reading. Hence, carry the images along.

You can use descriptive text like:

• “As shown in Figure 1, the data shows a relationship between A and B.”.
• “Figure 1 is a pictorial representation of the variables in the experiment.”

5. How to Cite Images to Avoid Copyright Infringement

Do not use images in your research paper without a proper license to avoid copyright infringement.

Copyright infringement is the use or production of copyright-protected material without the permission of the copyright holder. Most teaching and paper-writing uses of images fall under the famous “fair use” provision (single use for scholarly purposes). However, it’s better to use free images or to get permission from the authors to use their image(s) in your scientific work.

How to cite an image in research paper? Follow these steps to reference images in scientific papers:

How to Cite an Image MLA Style (Modern Language Association)

• The owner’s name.
• Image name, title, or description.
• Source or website where it was first published.
• Contributor's name, if any.
• Serial number, if any.
• Publisher’s detail.
• Full date (DD:MM: YYYY) of the first published image.
• Link to the original picture

Format: Image Creator’s Last Name, First Name. “Image Title”. Website Name, Day Month Year Published, URL.

Example: Trent, Paul. “McMinnville UFO photographs”. McMinnville Telephone-Register Newspaper, 11 May 1950, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMinnville_UFO_photographs .

How to Cite an Image APA style (American Psychological Association)

• Image owner’s name.
• The complete date or year alone where the date or month is unknown.
• The place where it was first published.
• Image title or name (Optional).
• Publisher’s name or organization.

Format: Author’s last name. First Initial. (Publication date). Image Title [Type of image]. Publisher’s Name. Museum or university. URL.

Example: Trent, P. 1950. McMinnville UFO photographs.[Photo]. McMinnville Telephone-Register Newspaper. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMinnville_UFO_photographs

Visualization of Information

Information visualization , often referred to as data visualization or simply visualization, is the practice of representing data in a graphical or pictorial format to help people understand complex information more easily. It involves the use of visual elements such as charts, graphs, maps, and diagrams to convey patterns, trends, and insights that might be difficult to discern from raw data or text alone.

Types of Research Papers with Pictures

Research paper with pictures usually focus on data visualization. Below you have a list of different types of research papers that benefit from using photos, graphics, charts, infographics and other visuals.

Academic and research papers that benefit from the inclusion of images and graphics can vary widely depending on the subject matter and the specific goals of the paper. So, here are some types of student papers and research papers where images and graphics are commonly used:

• Scientific Research Papers: In scientific papers, graphs, charts, diagrams, and images are often included to illustrate data, experimental setups, and results. This helps in conveying complex scientific information more effectively.
• Engineering Reports: Papers related to engineering disciplines frequently use images, CAD drawings, schematics, and charts to explain designs, processes, and technical concepts.
• Geological Studies: Geology papers often incorporate maps, cross-sections, and images of rock formations to support geological findings and observations.
• Medical and Healthcare Research: Research papers in the medical field often include medical images, such as X-rays, MRI scans, and microscopy images to illustrate conditions, procedures, or research findings.
• Environmental Studies: Papers in the field of environmental science may use maps, satellite images, and charts to visualize data related to environmental changes, ecosystems, and geography.
• History and Archaeology Papers: Historical research papers may include images of historical artifacts, maps, photographs, and archival materials to support historical narratives and analysis.
• Art and Art History Papers: Papers in art-related fields may include images of artworks for analysis, as well as illustrations and diagrams to explain artistic techniques or concepts.
• Architecture and Design Papers: Papers related to architecture and design often feature sketches, CAD drawings, and architectural diagrams to demonstrate design concepts and plans.
• Social Sciences and Psychology Research: Research papers in psychology and social sciences may incorporate charts, graphs, and infographics to display research data and statistical analysis.
• Educational Papers: Educational research papers may use graphics, flowcharts, and illustrations to explain teaching methodologies or to visually represent educational theories and concepts.
• Computer Science and IT Research: Papers in these fields can include code snippets, flowcharts, network diagrams, and screenshots to illustrate algorithms, software, and technology concepts.
• Literary Analysis and Humanities Papers: While less common, literary analysis papers may include images of book covers, artwork, or manuscripts as visual aids in discussing literary themes or historical context.

How to Make Images for Research Paper

In the reasearch paper Detecting Photoshopped Faces by Scripting Photoshop" that I found on Arxiv, you can see lots of examples of images that are used to better illustrate the data. Arxiv is a free online archive of preprint and postprint manuscripts and reaserch papers in physics, mathematics, computer science, etc.

You can use Photoshop to make images in research paper. Photoshop is a great tool if you want to merge images, combine multiple photos, add text to image , create custom illustrations and diagrams, edit and enhance photographs, create maps, overlays, image annotations , etc.

Here on PSDDude we have lots of tutorials and resources that will help you create images for research papers. In my opinion more and more research papers use pictures and focus on visual data display. So, it is important that you do the same!

In Conclusion: Use Pictures to Boost Your Research Paper’s Quality

The use of images such as graphs and photos in a presentation enhances its quality and impact. Thus, consider utilizing tables, charts, graphs, or infographics to present findings. Graphs in research paper give value to your work and increase trust. Insert images to illustrate concepts, provide examples, or support comparisons.

Images in research paper enhance storytelling. But, strike a balance. Utilize imagery to boost your article’s appearance and not overwhelm it. Likewise, the ones that reinforce the research. Most importantly, follow the proper citation guidelines to reference pics to avoid punishment. Check with your academic institution or target journal for more information before publishing your work.

Credit: Freepik & Unsplash

If you enjoyed reading this you can get new posts by email:

Cheaper Adobe

Books on How to Write a Dissertation

Be a Cool Dude!

With your donation you can help us maintain this website and keep producing free resources many months to come! Any amount counts

No comment(s) for "Images in Research Paper"

Have something to say leave us a comment.

Share your Psd Dude inspired works

Get new posts by email:

• Pop Art Photoshop Tutorials and Action
• The Best Online Text Editor
• [FREE] Textures for Photoshop

Frequently asked questions

How do i include an image in my paper in chicago style.

In Chicago style , when you don’t just refer to an image but actually include it in your (research) paper , the image should be formatted as a figure. Place the figure before or after the first paragraph where it is mentioned. Refer to figures by their numbers in the text (e.g., “see fig. 1”).

Below the figure, place a caption providing the figure number followed by a period (e.g., “Figure 1.”), a reference to the source (if you didn’t create the image yourself), and any relevant information to help the reader understand the image (if needed).

The caption is single-spaced and left-aligned, and followed by a blank line before the continuation of the main text.

To automatically generate accurate Chicago references, you can use Scribbr’s free Chicago reference generator .

Frequently asked questions: Chicago Style

The director should always be listed in the author position in a Chicago film citation , followed by the label “director.” Other contributors to the film (actors, cinematographers, writers, composers, producers, etc.) may be listed after the film title, e.g., “Featuring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. Cinematography by Jarin Blaschke.”

Only the contributors relevant to your discussion of the film should be added. You might mention actors whose performances are discussed in detail, or the composer if the use of music in the film is examined. It’s also fine to mention no contributors other than the director, if none are relevant to your discussion.

In Chicago style , when a source does not include page numbers but you still want to point the reader to a specific point within it, an alternative locator should be used in your Chicago footnote or Chicago in-text citation . With audiovisual sources (e.g., films , videos , podcasts, songs), this is a timestamp, e.g. 1:15:28.

Webpages are usually short enough that no specific locator is needed. However, for a particularly long web page, you can use a subheading from the page, in quotation marks , e.g., “Citing Sources with Notes.”

Note that page numbers should be left out of newspaper citations , even when they are available. This is because page numbers can vary between different editions of a newspaper.

In a Chicago style footnote , list up to three authors. If there are more than three, name only the first author, followed by “ et al. ”

In the bibliography , list up to 10 authors. If there are more than 10, list the first seven followed by “et al.”

The same rules apply in Chicago author-date style .

When an online source does not list a publication date, replace it with an access date in your Chicago footnotes and your bibliography :

If you are using author-date in-text citations , or if the source was not accessed online, replace the date with “n.d.”

In a Chicago footnote citation , when the author of a source is unknown (as is often the case with websites ), start the citation with the title in a full note. In short notes and bibliography entries, list the organization that published it as the author.

In Chicago author-date style , treat the organization as author in your in-text citations and reference list.

Chicago format doesn’t require you to use any specific font, as long as you choose something readable. A good standard choice is 12 pt Times New Roman.

• A reference list is used with Chicago author-date citations .
• A bibliography is used with Chicago footnote citations .

Both present the exact same information; the only difference is the placement of the year in source citations:

• In a reference list entry, the publication year appears directly after the author’s name.
• In a bibliography entry, the year appears near the end of the entry (the exact placement depends on the source type).

There are also other types of bibliography that work as stand-alone texts, such as a Chicago annotated bibliography .

Turabian style is a version of Chicago style designed specifically for students and researchers. It follows most Chicago conventions, but also adds extra guidelines for formatting research papers , theses and dissertations .

More information can be found in A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian, now in its ninth edition.

Footnotes appear at the bottom of the relevant page.  Endnotes appear in a list at the end of the text, just before the reference list or bibliography. Don’t mix footnotes and endnotes in the same document: choose one or the other and use them consistently.

In Chicago notes and bibliography style , you can use either footnotes or endnotes, and citations follow the same format in either case.

In APA and MLA style , footnotes or endnotes are not used for citations, but they can be used to provide additional information.

In Chicago author-date style , your text must include a reference list . It appears at the end of your paper and gives full details of every source you cited.

In notes and bibliography style, you use Chicago style footnotes to cite sources; a bibliography is optional but recommended. If you don’t include one, be sure to use a full note for the first citation of each source.

In Chicago notes and bibliography style , the usual standard is to use a full note for the first citation of each source, and short notes for any subsequent citations of the same source.

However, your institution’s guidelines may differ from the standard rule. In some fields, you’re required to use a full note every time, whereas in some other fields you can use short notes every time, as long as all sources are listed in your bibliography . If you’re not sure, check with your instructor.

When a source has four or more authors , your in-text citation or Chicago footnote should give only the first author’s name followed by “ et al. ” (Latin for “and others”). This makes your citations more concise.

In your bibliography or reference list , when a source has more than 10 authors, list the first seven followed by “et al.” Otherwise, list every author.

Page numbers should be included in your Chicago in-text citations when:

• You’re quoting from the text.
• You’re paraphrasing a particular passage.
• You’re referring to information from a specific section.

When you’re referring to the overall argument or general content of a source, it’s unnecessary to include page numbers.

Ask our team

Want to contact us directly? No problem.  We  are always here for you.

• Email [email protected]
• Start live chat
• Call +1 (510) 822-8066
• WhatsApp +31 20 261 6040

Our team helps students graduate by offering:

• A world-class citation generator
• Plagiarism Checker software powered by Turnitin
• Innovative Citation Checker software
• Professional proofreading services
• Over 300 helpful articles about academic writing, citing sources, plagiarism, and more

Scribbr specializes in editing study-related documents . We proofread:

• PhD dissertations
• Research proposals
• Personal statements
• Admission essays
• Motivation letters
• Reflection papers
• Journal articles
• Capstone projects

Scribbr’s Plagiarism Checker is powered by elements of Turnitin’s Similarity Checker , namely the plagiarism detection software and the Internet Archive and Premium Scholarly Publications content databases .

The add-on AI detector is powered by Scribbr’s proprietary software.

The Scribbr Citation Generator is developed using the open-source Citation Style Language (CSL) project and Frank Bennett’s citeproc-js . It’s the same technology used by dozens of other popular citation tools, including Mendeley and Zotero.

You can find all the citation styles and locales used in the Scribbr Citation Generator in our publicly accessible repository on Github .

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• NEWS EXPLAINER
• 07 March 2024

AI-generated images and video are here: how could they shape research?

• Carissa Wong

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Tools such as Sora can generate convincing video footage from text prompts. Credit: Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools that translate text descriptions into images and video are advancing rapidly.

Just as many researchers are using ChatGPT to transform the process of scientific writing, others are using AI image generators such as Midjourney, Stable Diffusion and DALL-E to cut down on the time and effort it takes to produce diagrams and illustrations. However, researchers warn that these AI tools could spur an increase in fake data and inaccurate scientific imagery.

Nature looks at how researchers are using these tools, and what their increasing popularity could mean for science.

How do text-to-image tools work?

Many text-to-image AI tools, such as Midjourney and DALL-E, rely on machine-learning algorithms called diffusion models that are trained to recognize the links between millions of images scraped from the Internet and text descriptions of those images. These models have advanced in recent years owing to improvements in hardware and the availability of large data sets for training. After training, diffusion models can use text prompts to generate new images.

What are researchers using them for?

Some researchers are already using AI-generated images to illustrate methods in scientific papers. Others are using them to promote papers in social-media posts or to spice up presentation slides. “They are using tools like DALL-E 3 for generating nice-looking images to frame research concepts,” says AI researcher Juan Rodriguez at ServiceNow Research in Montreal, Canada. “I gave a talk last Thursday about my work and I used DALL-E 3 to generate appealing images to keep people’s attention,” he says.

Text-to-video tools are also on the rise, but seem to be less widely used by researchers who are not actively developing or studying these tools, says Rodriguez. However, this could soon change. Last month, ChatGPT creator OpenAI in San Francisco, California, released video clips generated by a text-to-video tool called Sora. “With the experiments we saw with Sora, it seems their method is much more robust at getting results quickly,” says Rodriguez. “We are early in terms of text-to-video, but I guess this year we will find out how this develops,” he adds.

What are the benefits of using these tools?

Generative AI tools can reduce the time taken to produce images or figures for papers, conference posters or presentations. Conventionally, researchers use a range of non-AI tools, such as PowerPoint, BioRender and Inkscape. “If you really know how to use these tools, you can make really impressive figures, but it’s time-consuming,” says Rodriguez.

AI tools can also improve the quality of images for researchers who find it hard to translate scientific concepts into visual aids, says Rodriguez. With generative AI, researchers still come up with the high-level idea for the image, but they can use the AI to refine it, he says.

What are the risks?

Currently, AI tools can produce convincing artwork and some illustrations, but they are not yet able to generate complex scientific figures with text annotations. “They don’t get the text right — the text is sometimes too small, much bigger or rotated,” says Rodriguez. The kind of problems that can arise were made clear in a paper published in Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology in mid-February, in which researchers used Midjourney to depict a rat’s reproductive organs 1 . The result, which passed peer review, was a cartoon rodent with comically enormous genitalia, annotated with gibberish.

“It was this really weird kind of grotesque image of a rat,” says palaeoartist Henry Sharpe, a palaeontology student at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. This incident is one of the “biggest case[s] involving AI-generated images to date”, says Guillaume Cabanac, who studies fraudulent AI-generated text at the University of Toulouse, France. After a public outcry from researchers, the paper was retracted.

This now-infamous AI-generated figure featured in a scientific paper that was later retracted. Credit: X. Guo et al./Front. Cell Dev. Biol.

There is also the possibility that AI tools could make it easier for scientific fraudsters to produce fake data or observations, says Rodriguez. Papers might contain not only AI-generated text, but also AI-generated figures, he says. And there is currently no robust method for detecting such images and videos. “It's going to get pretty scary in the sense we are going to be bombarded by fake and synthetically generated data,” says Rodriguez. To address this, some researchers are developing ways to inject signals into AI-generated images to enable their detection.

Why has there been a backlash from some fields?

Last month, Sharpe launched a poll on social-media platforms including X, Facebook and Instagram that surveyed the views of around 90 palaeontologists on AI-generated depictions of ancient life. “Just one in four professional palaeontologists thought that AI should be allowed to be in scientific publications,” says Sharpe.

AI-generated images of ancient lifeforms or fossils can mislead both scientists and the public, he adds. “It’s inaccurate, all it does is copy existing things and it can’t actually go out and read papers.” Iteratively reconstructing ancient lifeforms by hand, in consultation with palaeontologists, can reveal plausible anatomical features — a process that is completely lost when using AI, Sharpe says. Palaeoartists and palaeontologists have aired similar views on X using the hashtag #PaleoAgainstAI.

How are publishers adapting to the popularity of these tools?

Journals differ in their policies around AI-generated imagery. Springer Nature has banned the use of AI-generated images, videos and illustrations in most journal articles that are not specifically about AI ( Nature ’s news team is independent of its publisher, Springer Nature). Journals in the Science family do not allow AI-generated text, figures or images to be used without explicit permission from the editors, unless the paper is specifically about AI or machine learning. PLOS ONE allows the use of AI tools but states that researchers must declare the tool involved, how they used it and how they verified the quality of the generated content.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00659-8

Guo, X., Dong, L. & Hao, D. Front. Cell Dev. Biol . 11 , 1339390 (2024); retraction 12 , 1386861 (2024).

Article   Google Scholar  

Download references

Reprints and permissions

Related Articles

• Scientific community
• Machine learning

Is AI ready to mass-produce lay summaries of research articles?

Nature Index 20 MAR 24

‘Woah, this is affecting me’: why I’m fighting racial inequality in prostate-cancer research

Career Q&A 20 MAR 24

Are we in the Anthropocene yet?

Editorial 20 MAR 24

So … you’ve been hacked

Technology Feature 19 MAR 24

No installation required: how WebAssembly is changing scientific computing

Technology Feature 11 MAR 24

Five tips for digitizing handwritten data

Technology Feature 05 MAR 24

Google AI could soon use a person’s cough to diagnose disease

News 21 MAR 24

Three reasons why AI doesn’t model human language

Correspondence 19 MAR 24

AI image generators often give racist and sexist results: can they be fixed?

News Feature 19 MAR 24

Postdoctoral Associate

Our laboratory at the Washington University in St. Louis is seeking a postdoctoral experimental biologist to study urogenital diseases and cancer.

Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University School of Medicine Department of Medicine

Recruitment of Global Talent at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOZ, CAS)

The Institute of Zoology (IOZ), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is seeking global talents around the world.

Beijing, China

Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOZ, CAS)

Postdoctoral Fellow-Proteomics/Mass Spectrometry

Location: Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Tulane University School of Med...

New Orleans, Louisiana

Tulane University School of Medicine (SOM)

Open Faculty Position in Mathematical and Information Security

We are now seeking outstanding candidates in all areas of mathematics and information security.

Dongguan, Guangdong, China

GREAT BAY INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY： Institute of Mathematical and Information Security

Faculty Positions in Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering (BSBE) Thrust, Systems Hub, HKUST (GZ)

Tenure-track and tenured faculty positions at all ranks (Assistant Professor/Associate Professor/Professor)

The university is situated in the heart of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, a highly active and vibrant region in the world.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies