Visuals carry evidence. Treat them like text. Give a caption with an in-text citation and add a full line in the reference list. Keep one pattern across your List of Figures and Tables and appendices.
Before You Insert a Visual
- Identify the source type: book, journal article, government report, dataset, or electronic source.
- Note pages, figure numbers, sheet names, or coordinates.
- Decide if it is used as-is or adapted. Mark that in the caption.
- Record a URL and accessed date for web items.
- Check permissions if you move beyond study and review. Clear sourcing also guards against plagiarism.
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Caption Recipe (Use Under the Item)
Tables
Table X. Title — Source: Surname (Year, p. #).
If adapted: Source: Adapted from Surname (Year, p. #).
Figures (incl. photos, charts, diagrams)
Figure X. Title — Surname (Year, p. #).
Maps
Figure X. Title — Creator (Year).
Add scale, sheet, or coordinates if shown.
Then put the full entry in the reference list using the source’s own pattern (book, article, report, etc.).
Which Pattern to Use?
| Visual | In-text / Caption | Reference List Line |
|---|---|---|
| Table from a book | Source: Surname (Year, p. #) | Book format (author, year, title, publisher, place) |
| Table from a journal | Source: Surname (Year, p. #) | Journal format (author, year, ‘title’, journal, vol(issue), pp.) |
| Figure from a journal/book | Surname (Year, p. #) | Use the container’s format (book or journal) |
| Map in print | (Creator Year) | Creator Year, Title, publisher, place |
| Map online | (Creator Year) | Creator Year, description + format, Available at: URL [Accessed …] |
Use p. for one page; pp. for a range.
Tables
Number your tables and give titles. Put the source in the caption, add the full entry in the list.
Caption
Table 2. Race outcomes by season — Source: Jenkins (1999, p. 9).
or
Source: Adapted from Jenkins (1999, p. 9).
Reference list (journal example)
Boden, LA, Anderson, GA, Charles, JA, Morgan, KL, Morton, JM, Parkin, TDH, Slocombe, RF & Clarke, AF 2006, ‘Risk of fatality and causes of death of Thoroughbred horses associated with racing in Victoria, Australia: 1989–2004’, *Equine Veterinary Journal*, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 312–318.
If the table came from a book, use the book pattern instead.
Maps
Print map
In-text: (Department of Lands, NSW 2004)
Reference list:
Department of Lands, NSW 2004, *Topographic & orthophoto map 1:25,000. 9537-3N*, 3rd edn, Dept. of Lands, Bathurst, NSW.
Include edition, scale, and sheet code if shown.
Online map
In-text: (Google Earth 2021)
Reference list:
Google Earth 2021, Southern Cross University Gold Coast campus, 28°10′29″S, 153°31′16″E, elevation 3 m, 2D map. Available at: http://www.google.com/earth/index.html [Accessed 31 Mar. 2021].
Coordinates help readers find the exact view.
Figures from Other Sources
Figures include photos, charts, and diagrams. Cite beneath the image. Then list the source like a book or a journal article.
Caption
Figure 4. Career path model — Holzle (2010, p. 781).
Reference list
Holzle, K 2010, ‘Designing and implementing a career path for project managers’, *International Journal of Project Management*, vol. 28, no. 8, pp. 779–786.
If you redraw a figure, write “Adapted from …” in the caption. This supports paraphrasing and quoting rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
To Harvard reference a map: Include map creator, year, title in italics, map type, publisher, and URL/source. Example: Author. (Year). Title [Map type]. Publisher. URL/Source.
Yes. List the sources in the caption and include full entries for each item in the reference list.
No. A caption still needs an in-text citation, and the source still needs a reference list line.
In the caption: p. for one page, pp. for a range. Use the container’s pages (book, report, or PDF).
Mark the caption as your own work. If the photo uses data or a map base, add “Data: Agency Year” in the caption and cite the dataset.
If your guide asks for it, add a List of Figures and Tables before the Glossary and appendices. Keep numbering consistent across chapters.
