For images where the creator is unknown, you can use the title or description in the author position.
[Photograph of a violent confrontation during the Hong Kong protests]. (2019). https://twitter.com/xyz11111112 | |
([Confrontation during Hong Kong protests], 2019) |
The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:
If you viewed an image in person rather than online—for example in a museum or gallery, or in another text—the source information is different.
For images viewed in a museum or gallery, you include the name and location of the institution where you viewed the image.
APA format | Last name, Initials. (Year). [Format]. Museum, Location. |
---|---|
Goya, F. (1819–1823). [Painting]. Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain. | |
(Goya, 1819–1823) |
Location information includes the city, state/province (abbreviated), and country, e.g. Sydney, NSW, Australia. Omit the state/province if not applicable.
Citations for images sourced from a print publication such as a book , journal , or magazine include information about the print source in which the image originally appeared:
When you include the image itself in your paper, it should be properly formatted as an APA figure , with a number, a descriptive title, and an entry in your list of figures if you have one.
The title of a figure should appear immediately above the image itself, and will vary according to the type of image cited. For example, an artwork is simply the work’s title.
A note below the figure may include further details regarding its authorship and medium, copyright/permissions information, additional explanatory notes, or other elements.
Note that any figures that you didn’t create yourself should appear both in your list of figures (if you have one) and on your reference page . Figures you create yourself only appear in the list of figures.
In most styles, the title page is used purely to provide information and doesn’t include any images. Ask your supervisor if you are allowed to include an image on the title page before doing so. If you do decide to include one, make sure to check whether you need permission from the creator of the image.
Include a note directly beneath the image acknowledging where it comes from, beginning with the word “ Note .” (italicized and followed by a period). Include a citation and copyright attribution . Don’t title, number, or label the image as a figure , since it doesn’t appear in your main text.
If you adapt or reproduce a table or figure from another source, you should include that source in your APA reference list . You should also include copyright information in the note for the table or figure, and include an APA in-text citation when you refer to it.
Tables and figures you created yourself, based on your own data, are not included in the reference list.
APA doesn’t require you to include a list of tables or a list of figures . However, it is advisable to do so if your text is long enough to feature a table of contents and it includes a lot of tables and/or figures .
A list of tables and list of figures appear (in that order) after your table of contents, and are presented in a similar way.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Caulfield, J. (2023, December 01). How to Cite an Image in APA Style | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 13, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/image/
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One easy way to include science images in your manuscripts is to download and customize them for your figures..
When downloading images from the internet to use in your scientific papers and presentations, you need to be careful that they match the copyright, resolution, and sizing rules that allow them to be used in academic journals. This science image guide provides tips to help you choose the right kinds of files that you can use to create your own impressive designs.
There are two categories of images that can be used for scientific publications: editable and uneditable. Editable images that can be fully customized and scaled without losing resolution are called vector files. Uneditable images don't allow you to adjust the design or color and come in wide range of formats from low to high resolution. Both of these image types can be used in scientific papers as long as you follow the proper copyright and resolution rules. Learn more about these image types and the different uses below.
The best kind of science images are editable vector files that allow you to customize the designs to best match the main points of your research. These include image file types such as Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg), Adobe Illustrator (.ai), Affinity Designer (.afdesign), Encapsulated PostScript (.eps), and some files in PowerPoint (.pptx) if they were drawn using PowerPoint shape tools.
Editable Image Tips:
The easiest ways to find editable images is to explore science image databases or use Google search. I recommend using the search terms "drawings", "vector art", or "vector images" paired with the image type keyword.
The example below shows the Google Image search results for "cancer cell drawings" with a variety of different options for downloading different types of science images. You will still need to make sure that the image is available as a vector file type to be fully editable (e.g. SVG, AI, or EPS file types). Most vector images will require some sort of payment or subscription to download the high resolution files and use without copyright issues.
The second best format is uneditable images. Common uneditable image types are PNG, TIFF, or JPEG formats and these can be incorporated into your scientific figures and presentations as long as they have high enough resolution and have copyright rules that allow you to use them in academic publications.
Uneditable image tips:
The easiest ways to find high resolution and transparent images is to explore science image databases or use Google search. I recommend using the search terms "transparent background" and using the Google "Tools" feature to limit the search for "Large" images.
The examples below shows the Google Large Image search results for "plant cell diagram transparent background" that show a variety of different options for downloading high resolution and transparent science images.
Size and resolution are important because images need to be high resolution enough to show sharp shapes and lines when it is used in a printed or digital figure. Below are tips on how to choose the right image sizes and resolutions.
Resolution is the most important aspect of a downloaded image or scientific figure and affects the sharpness of the details. A low-resolution image will have around 72 PPI and high resolution images are at least 300 PPI.
The size requirements will depend on how you plan to use the image. Most scientific journals use a maximum figure width of 180mm, so if you only plan to use images in scientific publications, then you only need them large enough to look sharp within a 180 mm wide figure (~600 pixels wide).
If you plan to use the image in presentation or posters slides, you will need to have much larger images to not have resolution issues when shown on a big screen that is 1280 x 720 pixels or printed on a poster that is approximately 48 x 36 inches.
Copyright laws ensure that an image is only used in a way that is approved by the image creator. The best way to ensure that you download images with copyright rules that allow you to use them for academic journal submissions is to read the fine print on the image source. The summary below describes how to find images that are allowed for use in scientific papers.
Anyone who creates their own original artwork has the right to be acknowledged as the creator of that image. They automatically own the copyright for the image, which means that legally, they have the right to decide where and how that image can be used. In order to be able to use images in scientific papers, you will need to know what kind of copyright license is being used, which you can usually find by looking for the original source of the image or by reading the fine print of the image database.
Types of copyright licenses for scientific use:
Look for image databases that have copyright licenses that allow you to use the images "For personal, academic, and commercial projects and to modify it" such as:
NOTE: Some copyright-free image databases may still require that you attribute the illustration to the original author in your scientific publication. Read the fine print to make sure you are using the image correctly!
After downloading images, the next step is to format them into your scientific designs. Two of the most common software tools that scientists use for figure formatting are Adobe Illustrator and PowerPoint. Below is a link to free online courses that show you how to use the downloaded images in your scientific publications and graphical abstracts.
Interested in free design templates and training.
Explore scientific illustration templates and courses by creating a Simplified Science Publishing Log In. Whether you are new to data visualization design or have some experience, these resources will improve your ability to use both basic and advanced design tools.
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Home » Figures in Research Paper – Examples and Guide
Table of Contents
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.
Here are some specific ways in which figures can be important in a research paper:
There are several types of figures commonly used in research papers, including:
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:
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:
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 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
Some common purposes of figures in research papers are:
Figures (such as charts, graphs, diagrams, and photographs) are an important component of research papers and offer several advantages, including:
Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer
Usage Guidelines:
References and Citations:
References with NoodleTools:
Citations Guidelines:
EXAMPLE FIGURE
For more information, see:
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Many scholarly publications are enhanced with images, ranging from reproductions of fine art to graphs showing the results of scientific research. Including images in books and articles can complement the text, visually demonstrate the author's analysis, and engage the reader. Using images in publications, however, raises copyright issues, which can be complex, time-consuming, and expensive. To help authors navigate this process, publishers often provide specific guidance, including what rights must be requested, acceptable file formats, image resolution, etc. See Requesting 3rd party Permissions from Oxford Journals or Image Guidelines from Johns Hopkins University Press as examples.
The primary issues that you need to aware of when incorporating images in your publication are:
The right to publish a copyrighted image is controlled by the copyright owner, so each copyrighted image that you use must have permission or fall within an exception to the general copyright statue, such as public domain, fair use, or open access. Copyright permission fees are sometimes waived or reduced for scholarly publications; if not, however, they can be quite expensive as well as time-consuming to obtain. We recommend that you begin the permissions process early to avoid any last-minute complications that may delay publication of your work. In addition to copyright permission, some museums and other providers of images charge a fee for the production or use of a digital image from their collections, even if the underlying work is in the public domain. Like permissions fees, use fees are sometimes waived or reduced for scholarly publications.
Publishers will require a high resolution image for publication (usually at least 300 ppi). These may come from museums, archives, other collections, your own work, or suppliers of stock photos. There may be a fee assessed for use, the amount of which can vary significantly depending on who is supplying the image and how you are using it.
The cost of printing images can be substantial for the publisher, so be sure to discuss with your editor how many images they will publish, whether they will be in color, and whether a subvention will be required if the manuscript contains a large number of images.
If you have a photograph with people in it, there may be privacy or publicity rights that need to be addressed.
Public domain.
If you can find a usable image in a book or journal article published before 1927, it will be in the public domain , and therefore free of any copyright restrictions. Certain images published between 1927 and 1989 may also be in the public domain, depending on if they were published with a copyright notice and if the copyright was renewed. For more information, use this public domain chart or contact [email protected] .
Works of the United States government are also in the public domain and may be used freely.
Some museums, libraries, and archives make public domain images freely available with few or no restrictions. Read more in the Finding Images section.
Wikimedia Commons has a large collection of images that are licensed using the Creative Commons licensing system . Restrictions, if any, are listed with the image. It is important to recognize that if you use Wikimedia, you are relying on copyright information provided by the person uploading the image. You should review the copyright information carefully to be sure it appears to be accurate.
Many of the licenses in Wikimedia permit noncommercial uses only. The definition of noncommercial for purposes of the CC BY-NC license is, “NonCommercial means not primarily intended for or directed towards commercial advantage or monetary compensation.” Creative Commons provides some further guidance on how to interpret the NC license.
Under certain circumstances, publishers may be comfortable with relying on fair use when publishing images accompanying scholarly works.
The guidelines in the College Art Association’s Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts set out the fair use arguments for using art for educational purposes:
PRINCIPLE In their analytic writing about art, scholars and other writers (and, by extension, their publishers) may invoke fair use to quote, excerpt, or reproduce copyrighted works, subject to certain limitations:
Limitations
If you have your own high resolution photograph, you may use it freely since you own the copyright in your photograph. If, however, your photograph is of a copyrighted work of art, permission of the artist will be required unless it is a fair use . Note that many museums do not allow photography of works in their collections, so obtaining your own image of a work of art may not be an option. While architectural works are subject to copyright protection, photographs of publicly viewable buildings may be used. 17 U.S.C. § 120(a) .
If your image does not fall into any of the above categories, you will need to request permission from the copyright holder for use of the image. You may be able to obtain permission from one of the sites listed in the next section, or you may need to request permission from the artists or their representatives. The Artists Rights Society represents the intellectual property rights interests of visual artists and their estates worldwide and covers works in private collections as well as museums and galleries. ARS has a request form for permissions requests. Note that ARS handles permission requests only and does not supply images of the works.
For more general information on requesting permission, visit our Requesting Permission page.
Museums, libraries, and archives.
Some museums, libraries, and archives have collections of public domain images available for use in scholarly publications. The content of the collections and the permitted uses vary among institutions. Many do not allow images to be used as cover art since that is usually considered to be a commercial use, and some limit use to print publications. Below is a list of libraries and museums that make works available with few or no restrictions.
There are many companies that provide both a high quality image for publication and a license for publication. These sites usually have good selection of images, the images are high quality, and the search features are sophisticated. Licensing fees vary considerably and can be high, though you may be able to negotiate a discount for use in a scholarly publication.
For some of the sites listed below, the price will vary depending on which rights you need for publication: print/electronic, region of the world, number of languages, number of books, where the image will be placed (inside/cover), and size of the image. After entering that information, a license fee will display based on your use. The license fee is not automatically available for some images; for those, you will usually receive an email message after submitting your request. You should consult with your editor when selecting options to be sure you have selected the appropriate options for your book or article.
JSTOR Images Search (Georgetown NetID required for off-campus access) is a subscription database that includes some images specifically licensed for academic publishing. These images are identified with “IAP” (Images for Academic Publishing) under the thumbnail image in your search results. Details of the use, including size of print run and credit line, vary among IAP images. You can view these by clicking on the IAP icon under the thumbnail image. The Terms and Conditions agreement displays when you download the image. Most JSTOR images, however, are not in the IAP program and are not licensed for use in scholarly publishing. To use a non-IAP image in a book or article, you will usually need to request permission or go through a fee-based stock photo archive, often Art Resource, for a license. JSTOR provides contact information for permissions in the "Rights Notes" section of image information page.
You may also find usable images for publication on the sites listed on.
Cover images.
Images that appear on the cover of a book often require specific permission for that use and a higher fee.
The Association of University Presses has this statement on fair use and film frames in their Permissions FAQ :
You may use frame enlargements and publicity stills (both from films and from television shows) when you can justify their inclusion in the work under fair use guidelines—for example, when it can be argued that the illustration serves as a quote from the filmic “text” to illustrate a point. Be conservative in selecting material—if the still or frame illuminates a point you are making or is specifically discussed, then the use may qualify as fair use. Where possible, limit the number of frames reprinted from any one film and from different films that represent the subject of your work. If your use is decorative, you must seek permission from the rightsholder to include it. When purchasing material from a photo agency, read the conditions stated on the agreement and on the back of the photo very carefully (particularly the fine print). In all cases, acknowledge the original copyright holder. For a more in-depth analysis of fair use as related to stills and frame enlargements, the fair use section of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies website offers a number of policy statements and disciplinary guidelines that may be useful.
If your use goes beyond fair use, or if your publisher has a more restrictive policy, you will need to get permission from the copyright owner. Most major film studios have a licensing division where you can submit a request – MGM , Sony , Warner Brothers , Paramount Pictures , Universal , and Walt Disney Studios , for example. For smaller producers, you will need to contact them directly with your request.
There are differences among publishers with respect to what permissions they require for graphs, so a good first step is to consult with your editor on their policies. A few sample policies are:
There are permissions guidelines that many STM publishers use in setting policies for the reuse of images from their publications. The guidelines include gratis permission for the use of limited numbers of figures/tables/images from journal articles or books, though note that not all members have adopted policies exactly as written in the guidelines.
Many publishers who follow the STM guidelines, or who have similar policies, provide free permissions through the Copyright Clearance Center's Marketplace so those requests are usually quick, easy, and free. The Marketplace system requires information about your publication and exactly what rights you are seeking. For charts, graphs, or figures that fall outside the guidelines, the license fees are often in the $20-$50 range, although that depends on many factors and could be higher or lower.
If you have questions about using images in a scholarly publication, please email [email protected] .
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
If you want to cite some images from the internet, try providing its source link rather than the name or webpage.
Johanson, M. (Photographer). (2017, September, Vienna, Austria. Rescued bird. National gallery.
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:
Auteur, Henry. “Abandoned gardens, Potawatomi, Ontario.” Historical Museum, Reproduction no. QW-YUJ78-1503141, 1989, www.flickr.com/pictures/item/609168336/
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.
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Harrison pennybaker.
The American Psychological Association (APA) guide is typically used to format works in the social sciences. The guide covers a wide variety of formatting for references, lists, charts, graphs, pictures and other elements of a paper. Inserting an image into an APA-style paper is simple and the guide offers a standard procedure for doing so.
Choose your image. Decide on the image you would like to place in your paper and locate it on your computer. Ensure that the image is appropriate for your paper, then insert it onto the page in the desired location.
Size the image. The APA has set specifications for image and font size. The height of an image should not exceed standard margins -- determined by the requirements set for your assignment -- and font size used in the caption or photo credit must be between 8 and 14 points.
Insert a caption describing the figure or image. Number the image you are inserting and, if applicable, give the image a title and describe what it is depicting using sentence case style.
For example: Figure 1. The solar system. This figure demonstrates the movement of the solar system.
Add a photo caption. If the image is not your own, you must include the copyright information as instructed by the copyright holder just below the image and above the figure heading. Include this information in your final reference page.
Harrison Pennybaker began writing in 2004. He has written as a student and a journalist, specializing in politics, travel, arts and culture and current affairs. He holds a Master of Arts in political science and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in political science.
Regardless of how old we are, we never stop learning. Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages. Whether you’re studying times tables or applying to college, Classroom has the answers.
© 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Based on the Word Net lexical database for the English Language. See disclaimer .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
There a few rules you need to observe when including pictures in your research paper. Generally, you can:
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 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:
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.
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:
With this information, it should be easy for you to cite any image that you decide to include in your 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
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A lot of people ask themselves when writing a research paper “Can I include pictures in a research paper?” Of course, yes. Another traditional way of presenting experimental data in a scientific publication is their graphic representation.
Most often, it is used in articles and research papers, very rarely, when creating abstracts, and never, in summaries and annotations. This is usually an image, necessarily accompanied by a corresponding text, explaining the features of its experimental origin and information purpose.
Can you use images in a research paper? The answer is yes. Adequate visual representation of the obtained data is able to demonstrate more clearly (in comparison, only with the text or table) the differences, the trend of change, the nature of the interrelations and the very existence of the studied indicators.
The informational essence of such images can reflect either quantitative characteristics obtained by means of measurements or qualitative features, in the form of demonstrating the visual characteristics of the indicator under study (for example, using photography or “artistic image”).
As for the information purpose, it is due to the author’s intentions to draw the reader’s attention to certain features of the results obtained. This intention may consist of the desire to demonstrate either the very fact of the appearance of the changes, or their magnitude, or the tendency, or the type of dependence, etc. We hope that we answered your question if can you use pictures in a research paper.
The author’s choice of such a destination determines which kind of graphic image is most rational to use for this purpose, in order to prove most reasonably either a solution of a specific scientific problem or a scientific goal of research. Usually, graphics (1), histograms (2), diagrams (3), schemes (4), drawing images (5) and photographs (6) are used for graphical representation of results. As a rule, the first three of these views are created on the basis of the corresponding tables (not necessarily listed in the article), where the quantitative values (point or averaged) of the primary data are presented.
These values can vary either under the influence of different experimental conditions, or in time, or under the influence of different intensities of the same controlled factor, or reflect the relationship of the two indicators. With the help of the fourth type, it is possible to visually demonstrate the methodological, logical procedures of the scientific approach, the experimental conditions, and so on. And the other types (5 and 6) are mainly used to prove the very fact of the receipt (occurrence) of a qualitative result that cannot be quantified or to demonstrate the appearance of research equipment, questionnaires, questionnaires, etc.
In the process of creating a research paper , after the question “Can research papers include pictures?” and “how to write an introduction for a research paper” you ask yourself “How to add pictures, graphs or charts?” All the listed types of graphical representation of data are recommended to be prepared with the help of the corresponding “program wizards” of the editor “Word” or “Excel.”
It is practically convenient to do this in a special file (for example, “Drawings”) or in a separate file for each figure with the appropriate name (for example, Figure 1). This is due to the fact that according to generally accepted publication terminology, “drawing” refers to any graphic image given in the article, beginning with the scheme and ending with the traditional “artistic” drawing (photograph).
Why can research papers include graphs? In the research paper, only the term “drawing” is always used to refer to the graph, to the histogram, to the diagram, to the diagram, to the “art image,” and to the photograph. The reference to such a drawing is usually given in parentheses with the abbreviation of this word, for example, (Fig. 1), immediately after the first mention of it in the text, in the form of relevant information, and then providing the figure itself.
Now when you know the answer to the questions “Can a research paper include pictures?” or “Can a research paper have pictures?” you can start creating “research paper’s drawings.” It is desirable that each separate graphic image, regardless of its variety, is placed on one separate page with the possibility of copying and pasting into the desired place of text.
It is most advisable to do this after printing the entire article, copying the desired drawing (from its file) to a new page after the one where it is referenced for the first time. But you can insert a picture and immediately after a specific sentence, which shows the data presented on it, and the corresponding link. Can you include pictures in a research paper?
Yes, but this will require subsequent special editing of the text on the page, before and after the inserted picture. Therefore, despite the fact that the link to the picture is presented on the same page, prepared in a separate file in advance, it is preferable to place it outside the text, immediately on the next separate page. And after referring to it on the previous page, simply, continue the test description of the other results.
With this arrangement, there can be a link to several pictures on one page, and they will be presented one after the other, on subsequent separate pages. The advantages of such a separate layout of the “drawing,” as well as for the table, are associated with a significant simplification of the text editing of the article and providing greater visibility of the data presented in it.
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We will answer the question “Can a research paper include graphs?” Yes, it can. To demonstrate the quantitative differences that indicate a comparative change in the same indicator studied in your research paper, a bar graph is usually used – the Gantt chart.
Moreover, it should be emphasized that a clearly visible difference between the columns of the mean values (without the image ± 5) may not serve as a convincing argument in favor of the fact that one of them is larger or smaller than the other.
This is explained by the fact that such a difference between the “average arithmetic” was due to the presence among the averaged values of the ejection (or unexpectedly large or small value).
It is usually a consequence of the influence of the probabilistic factor uncontrolled by the experimenter and indicates a lack of methodological purity of the experiment. Therefore, one must present on the histogram their average quadratic deviations for visual proof of the reliability of the quantitative differences of the average values of the indicator (if it is not done in the text or in the table).
To do this, it is necessary to focus on ending the segments corresponding to the value “± 8”, passing through the upper points of the columns being compared. Demonstrated differences of the indicator are objectively existing (statistically reliable) only when the lower end of the segment (-8) of a larger value is above the upper end of the segment (+8) of a smaller value (i.e., these halves of segments with q values do not overlap).
This “non-overlapping” graphically demonstrates the existence of a statistically significant difference between the comparative mean statistical values and is the basis for their scientific interpretation. If no changes have been recorded, or the apparent differences (based on overlapping the mean square deviation values ± 5) are statistically unreliable, or insignificant, although reliable, then the histogram is not practical. Quite enough, just mention this fact in the text, and in case of urgent need, refer to the appropriate table.
Can you use graphs in research papers? When constructing a histogram, it is necessary to sign the names of the axes (vertical and horizontal), and in relation to the vertical axis, also create a scale with divisions of a certain dimension. The accuracy of these divisions (the frequency of marking on the vertical axis) should allow to visually determining the value of the displayed property of the compared values of the indicator. At the same time, the accuracy of the divisions must be such that it is visually possible to easily determine the smallest difference between the columns shown – the averaged values.
There is no such special scale for a pie chart, so it is sufficient to print the names of each sector corresponding to the property displayed to it and its dimension (usually, in percent,%).
Both for the histogram and for the diagram, it is necessary to provide a clear visual distinction between the compared columns or sectors, not only due to different heights or areas but also by their “coloring.” In this case, it is undesirable to use different colors, because, in a journal article, this is not allowed by editorial rules (all drawings should only be black and white).
Use instead of color, different hatching, and, for neighboring columns and sectors; it is clearly distinguishable (for example, right lateral, and left – oblique or pointed). The “contrast” of perception provided in this way should be more expressive, the less compared the differences in values that are near (on the right and on the left) from its column. The selected black-and-white “texture-hatching” filling the inner space of a column or sector should not make it difficult (mask) to read the inscriptions and figures located in them.
To demonstrate the trend of change (and not the magnitude of the differences) over time or under the influence of different intensities of the same factor, or for graphical representation of the mathematical relationship between the indicators, it is more expedient to use the chart in research papers and also for creating your schedule.
Can research papers have charts? Thanks to the graphic image, the tendency-direction, intensity and nature of the revealed changes or interrelations are more clearly monitored. For this, it is necessary to always sign both axes of the coordinates of the graph (both ordinates and abscissas) with the names of the corresponding indicators or only time units for the abscissa axis.
In addition, both these axes must have a scale (a division with the corresponding digitization), the accuracy of which allows us to determine the numerical values of any point on the graph.
First of all, this refers to the experimentally obtained points-values on the basis of which the graph is constructed. Due to this, visual detection of the existence or absence of interrelation between the studied indicators is simplified, which can serve as a basis for further refinement of it by special statistical methods. In this case, it should be stressed once again that it is impossible to determine which of these two interrelated indicators, and which function, cannot be done by any statistical methods.
To determine the cause-effect relationship between the indicators studied, and in such a way to confirm the fact of the change of one of them, only under the influence of the other, it is necessary to conduct purposeful experiments to identify which of them is a function and which is the argument. It is not advisable to construct a graph if there are fewer than four experimentally obtained or averaged values (points) for each of the indicators considered.
This is explained by the fact that it is difficult to determine from three or fewer points a reliably existing trend of change (especially nonlinear). It is more expedient to present such data with either a text or a histogram (with compared columns-values), which will fairly well reflect the changes obtained (without claiming a tendency). And the author does not need to discuss their orientation, but rather confine oneself, only by a comparative analysis of the available quantitative differences (more, less).
Its result can be presented, for example, with a text comment that at such and such a value of one indicator the value of the other was such-and-such, and for another such-and-such. Also, the article should not use a graph in research paper if in the experiment the changes of the same index are fixed under the individual influence of different experimental factors (conditions). For this, it is better to use a bar graph, where the names of these different factors will be listed horizontally, and the property of the indicator under study, whose values correspond to the effect of different experimental factors, will be shown vertically.
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By Aimee Picchi
Edited By Anne Marie Lee
Updated on: August 15, 2024 / 6:15 PM EDT / CBS News
A new lawsuit is claiming hackers have gained access to the personal information of "billions of individuals," including their Social Security numbers, current and past addresses and the names of siblings and parents — personal data that could allow fraudsters to infiltrate financial accounts or take out loans in their names.
The allegation arose in a lawsuit filed earlier this month by Christopher Hofmann, a California resident who claims his identity theft protection service alerted him that his personal information had been leaked to the dark web by the "nationalpublicdata.com" breach. The lawsuit was earlier reported by Bloomberg Law.
The breach allegedly occurred around April 2024, with a hacker group called USDoD exfiltrating the unencrypted personal information of billions of individuals from a company called National Public Data (NPD), a background check company, according to the lawsuit. Earlier this month, a hacker leaked a version of the stolen NPD data for free on a hacking forum, tech site Bleeping Computer reported .
That hacker claimed the stolen files include 2.7 billion records, with each listing a person's full name, address, date of birth, Social Security number and phone number, Bleeping Computer said. While it's unclear how many people that includes, it's likely "that everyone with a Social Security number was impacted," said Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at The National Cybersecurity Alliance, a nonprofit that promotes online safety.
"It's a reminder of the importance of protecting yourself, because clearly companies and the government aren't doing it for us," Steinhauer told CBS MoneyWatch.
NPD didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Here's what to know about the alleged hack.
National Public Data is a data company based in Coral Springs, Florida, that provides background checks for employers, investigators and other businesses that want to check people's backgrounds. Its searches include criminal records, vital records, SSN traces and more information, its website says.
There are many similar companies that scrape public data to create files on consumers, which they then sell to other businesses, Steinhauer said.
"They are data brokers that collect and sell data about people, sometimes for background check purposes," he said. "It's because there's no national privacy law in the U.S. — there is no law against them collecting this data against our consent."
According to the new lawsuit, USDoD on April 8 posted a database called "National Public Data" on the dark web, claiming to have records for about 2.9 billion individuals. It was asking for a purchase price of $3.5 million, the lawsuit claims.
However, Bleeping Computer reported that the file was later leaked for free on a hacker forum, as noted above.
The number of people impacted by the breach is unclear. Although the lawsuit claims "billions of individuals" had their data stolen, the total population of the U.S. stands at about 330 million. The lawsuit also alleges that the data includes personal information of deceased individuals.
Bleeping Computer reports that the hacked data involves 2.7 billion records, with individuals having multiple records in the database. In other words, one individual could have separate records for each address where they've lived, which means the number of impacted people may be far lower than the lawsuit claims, the site noted.
The data may reach back at least three decades, according to law firm Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe, which said on Monday it is investigating the breach.
It's unclear, although the lawsuit claims that NPD "has still not provided any notice or warning" to Hoffman or other people affected by the breach.
"In fact, upon information and belief, the vast majority of Class Members were unaware that their sensitive [personal information] had been compromised, and that they were, and continue to be, at significant risk of identity theft and various other forms of personal, social, and financial harm," the lawsuit claims.
Information security company McAfee reported that it hasn't found any filings with state attorneys general. Some states require companies that have experienced data breaches to file reports with their AG offices.
There are tools available that will monitor what information about you is available on the dark web, noted Michael Blair, managing director of cybersecurity firm NukuDo. Commonly breached data includes your personal addresses, passwords and email, he added.
One such service is how Hofmann, who filed the lawsuit, found out that his information has been leaked as part of NPD breach.
"Make sure to use reputable companies to look that up," Blair said.
Security experts recommend that consumers put freezes on their credit files at the three big credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Freezing your credit is free, and will stop bad actors from taking out loans or opening credit cards in your name.
"The biggest thing is to freeze your credit report, so it can't be used to open new accounts in your name and commit other fraud in your name," Steinhauer said.
Steinhauer recommends consumers take several additional steps to protect their data and finances:
You can also get a tracking service that will alert you if your data appears on the dark web.
"You should assume you have been compromised and act accordingly," Steinhauer said.
Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.
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I am in the process of writing a paper on the results I have obtained recently. One of the steps where I have innovated is extracted from a paper published some years ago.
My idea for the paper was to compare the original method with my modifications and thus present the different results.
Is it generally accepted practice to simply copy the "results" image from the original paper (that I am extensively citing and discussing in mine)? Or should I somehow recreate it? (this last option is presenting some difficulties, as some implementation details* are not explicitely stated in the original paper and thus I cannot be 100% sure that my reproduction would be actually representative of what the authors originally did)
*: yes, we are speaking (also) about code
You have two different questions: one in your title, regarding coping an image, and another regarding the results.
Copying a figure:
It depends on the license of the paper. If it is appropriately licensed (as with a Creative Commons Attribution license), you generally can, as long as you indicate it. If it is copyrighted, you are in the grey area of possible fair use. In these cases, the safest option is to contact the copyright holders (usually the publisher) and ask for permission.
Another option is to contact the authors and ask them for the raw data itself, so you can plot it yourself (so you keep a constant style across the paper), or ask them to regenerate it for you.
Using results:
The results are not copyrightable, so you can freely use them. If Smith et al, 2007 report an accuracy of 91%, and you get a 97%, you can freely put the numbers next to each other.
Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged publications graphics ..
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By Dodai Stewart and Talya Minsberg
Reporting from Paris
Breaking made its debut as an Olympic sport Friday, and among the competitors was Dr. Rachael Gunn, also known as B-girl Raygun, a 36-year-old professor from Sydney, Australia, who stood out in just about every way.
By day, her research interests include “dance, gender politics, and the dynamics between theoretical and practical methodologies.” But on the world’s stage in Paris, wearing green track pants and a green polo shirt instead of the street-style outfits of her much younger fellow breakers, she competed against the 21-year-old Logan Edra of the United States, known as Logistx.
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IMAGES
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There are three main ways to include pictures research paper needs in its text: At the end of your research paper. You can place pictures after the text of your research writing, living a reference or a link to a correspondent picture inside your text. Inside your paper, separately from the text. It's also possible to place a picture on a ...
This guide offers basic information on using images and media in research. Reasonable use of images and media in teaching, course papers, and graduate theses/dissertations is generally covered by fair use.
Utilize images/pictures in your research papers. Images can be placed both before or after the text with accompanying caption text.
Tables, Images, & Appendices. For some papers and reports, you may choose to add a table, graph, chart, or image within the body of the draft. Or you may choose to include an appendix at the end of your paper. These can help to provide a visual representation of data or other information that you wish to relay to your reader.
Learn how to cite images from various sources and use them effectively in your presentations and coursework with this Purdue University guide.
To cite an image, you need an in-text citation and a corresponding reference entry. The reference entry should list: The creator of the image The year it
An APA image citation includes the creator's name, the year, the image title and format (e.g. painting, photograph, map), and the location where you accessed or viewed the image.
Everything you need to know about using science images in your research papers, including matching the copyright, resolution, and sizing rules that allow them to be used in figures and presentations.
Knowing how to cite an image in APA format, whether it's classic art or an infographic, is an essential part of writing a research paper. The seventh edition of APA Style requires that, for photos and images, you list the creator's name, image title, year of origin, type of media, and location from which you accessed the image (such as a website URL or museum name). Give your writing extra ...
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.
A good rule of thumb: Use figures from ClipArt, Creative Commons, or the library's rights-cleared image database, Image Quest. You must provide complete citations for figures and tables in your paper and in your reference list. If the figure came from an image database, such as Image Quest, choose Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph from ...
OverviewMany scholarly publications are enhanced with images, ranging from reproductions of fine art to graphs showing the results of scientific research. Including images in books and articles can complement the text, visually demonstrate the author's analysis, and engage the reader. Using images in publications, however, raises copyright issues, which can be complex, time-consuming, and ...
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 ...
The guide covers a wide variety of formatting for references, lists, charts, graphs, pictures and other elements of a paper. Inserting an image into an APA-style paper is simple and the guide offers a standard ...
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.
Answer: It is acceptable to use figures or photos from published manuscripts so long as you 1) cite the source in your paper and 2) obtain the necessary permissions, if required. As a rule all figures, tables, and photos must be cited. In terms of getting permissions, this usually depends on the policies of the journal in which the paper ...
6 For a paper we're writing, we need to use a small image of a popular, easily recognized piece of consumer electronics. In previous drafts of the paper, a long time ago, someone made an image for the paper that ended up being the "headliner" image, i.e., the largest image that explains and outlines the subject of the whole paper.
Clarifying what images you can use for your thesis, dissertation, or first publication can be a frustrating process. It can often seem like a moving target, as laws and policies can differ by intended use, by country, or by type of ownership.
But you can insert a picture and immediately after a specific sentence, which shows the data presented on it, and the corresponding link. Can you include pictures in a research paper? Yes, but this will require subsequent special editing of the text on the page, before and after the inserted picture.
A research paper explores and evaluates previously and newly gathered information on a topic, then offers evidence for an argument. It follows academic writing standards, and virtually every college student will write at least one. Research papers are also integral to scientific fields, among others, as the most reliable way to share knowledge.
Lawsuit claims hackers accessed "billions" of records, including Social Security numbers, by breaching background check company.
We are making up for 7 lost birthdays with our foster son and a big surprise at the end has us all in tears. We are surprising our foster son with his...
When writing the background section of my thesis about the existing method I am tempted to use the graphics of the original paper/thesis when explaining why this method was created in the first place and how it performs compared to other methods.
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My idea for the paper was to compare the original method with my modifications and thus present the different results. Is it generally accepted practice to simply copy the "results" image from the original paper (that I am extensively citing and discussing in mine)?
Rachael Gunn, known as B-girl Raygun, displayed some … unique moves as she competed in a field with breakers half her age. The judges and the internet were underwhelmed.
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