At Chalmers University of Technology, the main referencing styles used for in-text citations are APA, IEEE, and Vancouver. However, the university has its own guidelines for the formatting of figures and figure captions, which can be combined with any referencing system.
In the caption include:
Numbering
Heading/title
Source
Copyright aspect
The examples below, developed in collaboration with the Chalmers Writing Center, represent the most common form of figure handling. We recommend that students follow this structure, but the most important thing is to be consistent.
NOTE!
The right to reproduce an image (insert a figure, graph, table, etc.) in your work may constitute an infringement of someone else's copyright, and we always recommend that you ask the copyright holder for permission. For images and figures you find on the internet, the easiest approach is to contact the copyright holder directly. For images from course books, contact the publishers.
All figures (pictures, graphs, diagrams, etc.) must have a caption placed under the figure. Place the in-text citation for the original source after the caption for every table or figure that is not your own.
All figures (pictures, graphs, diagrams, etc.) must have a caption placed under the figure. Place the in-text citation for the original source after the caption for every table or figure that is not your own. See the example below.
Figure 1. Leeloo on the ice. (Sörberg, 2023). CC-BY-NC
Sörberg, E. (2023). Leeloo på isen. [Photograph]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2oKRasD
All figures (pictures, graphs, etc.) must have a caption placed under the figure. Place the in-text citation for the original source after the caption for every table or figure that is not your own. See the example below.
Figure 4. Infornation Needs of Farmers in Western Sweden. (Soylu et al., 2016). Reprinted with permission.
Soylu, D., Cevher, N., Schirone, M., & Medeni. T. (2016). A comparative study of information-seeking behavior and digital information need of farmers in Turkey. International Journal of eBusiness and eGovernment Studies, 8(2). https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/257012
All figures (pictures, graphs, etc.) must have a caption placed under the figure. Place the in-text citation for the original source after the caption for every table or figure that is not your own. See the example below.
Figure. 3. Number of downloads at Chalmers library. (Herbertsson & Chalmers Library, 2012). Adapted with permission.
Herbertsson, L.H., & Chalmers Library. (2012). Number of downloads at Chalmers library, [graph]. Unpublished.
All figures (pictures, graphs, etc.) must have a caption placed under the figure. See the example below.
Figure 1. Kitty the cat in a blue scarf. (Authors own picture).
Your own figures should not be included in the reference list.
Free images or images under public domain can be freely used, and you are allowed to edit them without asking for permission. However, you still need to reference the images to clarify where they come from. They should also be included in the reference list.
Note! You still need to check that the image is not copyright-protected. If you are unsure, make it a habit to assume the image is protected rather than the opposite.
Figure 2. The Horse. (Blake, 1805). Public Domain
Blake, W. (1805). The horse. [Painting]. https://pdimagearchive.org/images/b0b09f41-2ce8-4e52-8fd7-8b7edba0be2d/
AI images are not and cannot be protected by copyright law and are therefore considered public domain. Since AI-generated images cannot be replicated, a full reference isn't needed, but due to transparency it still needs to be included in the figure captions that the image is generated by an AI by specifying which tool was used.
Figur 1. A cat is studying in the library. (Created with Copilot, 2025)
For artistic works, such as collages, presentations and posters, the traditional reference management is not suitable to use for each image as it would then destroy the creative work.
Make sure that you first have permission to deviate from the traditional way of referencing an image.
Before making a collage, first check that you have permission to retouch and rework the image you want to use, either by asking for this permission from the creator, using images where the license gives you permission or by using free images.
For collages, you can either only use the caption as a title for the collage and a collective text where the images come from. Then, cite the references in the reference list with a heading with the same name as the title of the collage.
Figur 3. Collage of Palmenhaus (Boman, 2007; Beggerley, 2018a; 2018b; 2018c; Gertrud, 2008; Nguyễn, 2016). CC-BY. CC-BY-NC-SA. CC-BY-SA
Collage of Palmenhaus. (s. 32)
Beggerly, B.J. (2018a). IMG_9726- The Temperate House in Kew Gardens. [Fotografi]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2cCtwLx
Beggerly, B.J. (2018b). IMG_9697- The Temperate House in Kew Gardens. [Fotografi]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2e2h8ep
Beggerly, B.J. (2018c). IMG_9669 - The Temperate House in Kew Gardens. [Fotografi]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2e2h8JT
Boman, M. (2007). Palm Trees. [Fotografi]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2jpMUr
Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel. (2019). Blooming pink roses. [Illustration]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/R6myQp
Gertrud K. (2006). Palmenhaus. [Fotografi]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/gyuZZ
Nguyễn, P. (2016). vintage-flowers-wallpaper-1. [Fotografi]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/GGz6KG
Alternatively, you can include a lineart image of the collage in the reference list, as well as a number for each image in the collage, and list the references below. Note that these should be in numerical order, not alphabetical.
For presentations, specifically in PowerPoint, the presentation can be concluded with a reference list. Quotes, references, images, illustrations and tables are then handled in the same way as if they were in a text.
Like presentations, posters also need references and a reference list, especially if the poster is displayed in a public space.
All tables must have a caption placed above the table. Place the in-text citation for the original source or data after the caption for every table that is not your own. See the example below.
Table 1. Mendeley user status aggregated into sector and user types undefined
* For Students (Bachelor), students (Master), and students (Postgraduate)
** For researcher at non-academic institution
*** For lecturers and senior lecturers
