“Follow the terms of the license associated with the image you want to reproduce. The [APA] guidelines apply regardless of whether the image costs money to purchase or is available for free” (APA Style, 2020). Banner Librarians recommend that you both cite the image in APA style and ensure that you have permission to use a copyrighted image. Accordingly, combine the citation and the copyright statement into a single statement called a "copyright attribution" that "consists of the same elements as the reference list entry, but in a different order (title, author, date, site name, URL)..." followed by the copyright statement as it appears in the origin document (APA Style, 2020). Follow the terms of the license associated with the image you want to reproduce. The [APA] guidelines apply to both students and professionals and in the case of both papers or powerpoint presentations, regardless of whether the image is associated with a cost or is freely available (APA Style, 2020).
Daddy says he misses us [photograph] by Banner Health. https://bannerhealth.webdamdb.com/bp/#/folder/11373378/. Copyright 2018 by Banner Health.
Most licensure for images should be examined on a case-by-case basis, but generally images and clip art from programs such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint can be used without attribution. In purchasing the program, you have purchased a license to use the clip art and images without attribution (APA Style, 2020).
Microsoft Stock Images will be the easiest to use. Place copyright attribution below the image.
Eagle [photograph], by unknown, n.d. Accessed 6/11/2025 from Microsoft Stock images. Free to Use with Microsoft Subscription.
*When there is no date, use n.d. and the Accessed date.
Look for the title of the image, author, date, and copyright information.
Right click the mouse to View Source and go to the location.
The original image comes from Pixaby. After finding the source, look for the title of the image, author, date, and copyright information. The license information will describe how the image can be used and the preferred way to label the image.
Laughing Girls [Photograph] by Olichel, 2015, Pixaby. (https://pixabay.com/photos/girls-friends-young-children-914823/). Free to use / Cropped from original.
"If the license associated with clip art or a stock image states “no attribution required,” then do not provide an APA Style reference, in-text citation, or copyright attribution"(APA Style, 2020).
Look for the title of the image, author, date, and copyright information.
Positioning the patient upright for epidural catheter insertion [photograph] by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, n.d. Access 6/11/2024 from Lippincott Solutions (https://procedures.lww.com/lnp/view.do?pId=4794777). Copyright © 2025 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins / Cropped from original.
Look for the title of the image, author, date, and copyright information.
Author: Howard Lewis Ship
Title: This birth brought to you by … Oxytocin
Year: 2013
View license: Some rights reserved
This birth brought to you by … Oxytocin [photograph] From Delivering Olivia by Ship, H. L., 2013, Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/59313411@N00/8508985728). CC BY-SA 2.0 / Cropped from original.
*This image is part of the collection called Delivering Olivia. Different Creative Commons licenses have different requirements for acknowledgement and use. Always link to the CC license within the copyright attribution statement.
"Whenever you are reusing CC [Creative Commons] licensed works, we recommend that the attribution include the Title, Author, Source, and License. This is true whether you’re sharing the work as-is or if you have made an adaptation. To remember these attribution elements, it’s helpful to think of the acronym: TASL" (CC 2024).
The TASL elements required of a Creative Commons attribution, are same elements required in an APA formatted citation (i.e. copyright attribution statement). Slight differences are that CC recommends the inclusion an author link, and a link to the CC license but does not require a year. Some CC licenses allow for modification of the image. Indicate the modifications the attribution.
Picture of a black and white dog’s face. From Lava [Photograph], by Denali National Park and Preserve, 2013. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/denalinps/8639280606/. CC BY 2.0. / Cropped from original
