When you insert an image or figure, which has been created by someone else, into your own work; you need to give acknowledgement to the creator in the form of a caption underneath the image or figure. The caption should usually include a label, an attribution, and a copyright statement.

If you insert an image or figure which has been created using a Generative AI (GenAI) tool you also need to include a caption underneath the image or figure. The caption for an AI-generated image should usually include a label and an attribution but currently not a copyright statement, as the copyright status for the images is currently unclear.

GenAI tools are capable of producing highly realistic and detailed images from textual prompts, though there are real concerns about the underlying ethical implications and the ways they can be used for misinformation purposes.

Always check your school / department's guidance and the specific module assessment criteria as the use of GenAI may be specifically prohibited on certain modules or assessments. If you're unsure, contact your department or tutor for clarification on what is permitted. 

For more information, see Generative AI Generative AI (GenAI) | StudySkills@Sheffield

This is necessary in academic writing so you can easily refer to an image or figure in your text. It is not necessary for other types of works such as presentations.
 

For AI-generated images the attribution should include an acknowledgement that the image was produced with generative AI, the prompt used in the tool, the name of it, and the date created.

Format the attribution according to the conditions of reproduction specified in the source you got the image/figure from. See examples below for formatting.

Often you’ll find that online sources will provide an attribution you can copy. 

Where you have inserted an image/figure from a book or journal article, this will include the details of the book or article. 

Images/figures in the Public Domain or with a CC0 dedication do not legally require an attribution, but it is good practice that you do so.

If you have altered an image/figure, you must make this clear in your caption by stating "Amended from".

If you have subsequently modified an AI-generated image with photo and design software, you must make this clear in your caption by starting it with the statement: "Amended from an AI generated image."
 

Format the copyright statement  according to the conditions of reproduction specified in the source you got the image/figure from. Common examples are provided below.

These conditions of reproduction could include:

• If there is a Creative Commons - CC licence, you need to add “is licensed under” and link to the CC licence terms. For more details, see Recommended practices for attribution - Creative Commons.
• If there is a Creative Commons - CC0 dedication or the image/figure is in the Public Domain, you need to add “CC0”, or “Public Domain”.
• If the image/figure is not covered by a CC or other licence that allows reuse, or is not in the Public Domain, you can reuse it under UK Copyright Exceptions. You are not legally required to add a copyright statement, but it is recommended that you do and add “used under a UK Copyright Exception”.

For AI-generated images, it is advisable to leave out a copyright statement as the copyright status of these images is currently unclear. We will update this guidance when statutory clarification is produced.

[Inserted image/figure]
Image/Figure number. Title of image/figure by/in Name of author, Title of source (if required), Date, Page number (if available), Copyright statement.

Caption example for a standalone image/figure (for example an image from Flickr or Wikimedia):

Image 1. Social Networking The UK as a Leader
in Europe by Office for National Statistics is
licensed under CC BY 2.0

Figure 1. 2b2t player count by Melofors, Public domain,
via Wikimedia Commons

Image 2. Sunflower by ahlea, CC0.

Caption example for an image/figure from a source (for example an image from a book or article):

Figure 2. Feedback sheet guide for observing students in
interpreted consultations in Bansal, A. et al.,
Using professional interpreters in undergraduate medical
consultation skills teaching, 2014, p. 441, is licensed under
CC BY-NC 3.0

[Inserted image/figure]
Image/Figure number. Title of image/figure by/in Name of author, Title of source (if required), Date, Page number (if available). Used under a UK Copyright Exception.

Caption example for a standalone image/figure (for example an image from Flickr or Wikimedia):

Image 3. Information Commons, The University of Sheffield
by Muhammad Irfanul alam. Used under a UK Copyright
Exception.

Caption example for an image/figure from a source (for example an image from a book or article):

Figure 1. Location of the pressure cells on the EPB
face in Fargnoli et al, 3D numerical modelling of
soil–structure interaction during EPB tunnelling,
2015. Used under a UK Copyright Exception.

Figure 2. Data Editor window in Pallant, SPSS survival manual,
2010, p. 31. Used under a UK Copyright Exception.

[Inserted image/figure]

Image/Figure number. Image is AI-generated. Prompt, GenAI tool, Date.

Caption example:

Image 1. Image is AI generated. Prompt: generate an image of a tree for a fairy tale, Gemini, 2025.

You also need to reference the image/figure by adding an entry in your Reference list or Bibliography:

• If you use an image from a source (e.g. a book, ebook, journal article) you should reference the source, not the image.
• If you use a standalone image (e.g. from Flickr) then you should reference the image.
• If you produced an image using AI, you cannot reference it as generative AI cannot be credited as an author. From an ethical perspective, GenAI lacks the inherent originality of thought that distinguishes human creativity and scholarly endeavour. You should instead fill in the University Acknowledge, Describe, Evidence template.

Access the University of Sheffield Library's Referencing Style Guides here.

It is important to be consistent and accurate when constructing attributions and references. 

Last reviewed: Spring 2025