Citations - MLA: Images, Charts, Graphs, Maps & Tables

• Figure (Photo, Image, Graph, or Chart)
• Table
• Google Map Inserted into a Research Paper

There are two types of material you can insert into your assignment: figures and tables.

A figure is a photo, image, map, graph, or chart.

A table is a table of information.

For a visual example of each, see the figure and table to the right.

Figure Numbers

The word figure should be abbreviated to Fig. Each figure should be assigned a figure number, starting with number 1 for the first figure used in the assignment. E.g., Fig. 1.

Title

Images may not have a set title. If this is the case give a description of the image where you would normally put the title.

If you are searching for images on Google, after your search, click the Images tab > Tools > Usage Rights > Labeled for Reuse

​Reproducing happens when you copy or recreate a photo, image, chart, graph, or table that is not your original creation.

• If you reproduce one of these works in your assignment, you must create a note (or "caption") underneath the photo, image, chart, graph, or table to show where you found it.
• If you do not refer to it anywhere else in your assignment, you do not have to include the citation for this source in a Works Cited list.

If you refer to information from the photo, image, chart, graph, or table but do not reproduce it in your paper, create a citation both in-text and on your Works Cited list. 

If the information is part of another format, for example a book, magazine article or website, cite the work it came from. For example if information came from a table in an article in National Geographic magazine, you would cite the entire magazine article.

The caption for a figure begins with a description of the figure, then the complete Works Cited list citation for the source the figure was found in. For example, if it was found on a website, cite the website. If it was in a magazine article, cite the magazine article.

Label your figures starting at 1.

Information about the figure (the caption) is placed directly below the image in your assignment.

• If the image appears in your paper the full citation appears underneath the image (as shown below) and does not need to be included in the Works Cited List.
• If you are referring to an image but not including it in your paper you must provide an in-text citation and include an entry in the Works Cited List.

Example:

Fig. 1. Man exercising from: Green, Annie. "Yoga: Stretching Out." Sports Digest, 8 May 2006, p. 22. 

Example:

Fig. 2. Annakiki skirt from: Cheung, Pauline. "Short Skirt S/S/ 15 China Womenswear Commercial Update." WGSN.

Note: This is a LAHC Libraries recommendation.

Fig. X. Description of the figure from: "City, State." Map, Google Maps.

Example:

Fig. 1. Map of Los Angeles Harbor College Library from: "Wilmington, CA." Map, Google Maps.

Above the table

1. Label it beginning at Table 1.
2. On a second line, add a description of what information is contained in the table.

Below the table

1. The caption for a table begins with the word Source
2. Then the complete Works Cited list citation for the source the table was found in.

For example, if it was found on a website, cite the website. If it was in a journal article, cite the journal article.

Source: Citation for source table was found in.

• Information about the table (the caption) is placed directly below the table in your assignment.
• If the table is not cited in the text of your assignment, you do not need to include it in the Works Cited list.

Example:

Table 1

Variables in determining victims and aggressors

Source: Mohr, Andrea. "Family Variables Associated With Peer Victimization." Swiss Journal of Psychology, vol. 65, no. 2, 2006, pp. 107-116, Psychology Collection, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1024/1421-0185.65.2.107.