When using media for presentations, even if it is an openly licensed resource, we still need to give proper attribution to the creator. With Creative Commons licenses, attribution is actually a requirement of use.
A commonly accepted attribution format in the open community is the TASL acronym. It's a bit less specific than APA or MLA format, but every attribution should have the following components and answer each question in italics. Where possible, link to the original components and do include any additional information if it feels relevant or useful.
Title (T) - What is the name of the material?
Author (A) - Who owns the material?
Source (S) - Where can I find it?
License (L) - How can I use it?
Example of Best Practices for Attribution Using TASL:
"Creative Commons 10th Birthday Celebration San Francisco" by tvol is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Title? "Creative Commons 10th Birthday Celebration San Francisco"
Author? "tvol" - linked to his profile page
Source? "Creative Commons 10th Birthday Celebration San Francisco" - linked to original Flickr page
License? "CC BY 2.0" - linked to license deed
This example is from the Best Practices for Attribution page on the Creative Commons wiki. It's used with permission thanks to a CC BY 4.0 international license.
It is also possible to use the MLA or APA format to cite content and provide appropriate attribution. Just include the license after the correct MLA or APA citation, as shown in the examples below.
APA Style References Example (7th Edition)
Vollmer, T. (2012, December 8). Creative Commons 10th Birthday Celebration San Francisco [Photograph]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/sixteenmilesofstring/8256206923/in/set-72157632200936657. CC BY 2.0 license.
APA Style Attribution / In-Text Example (7th Edition)
T. Vollmer, 2012 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sixteenmilesofstring/8256206923/in/set-72157632200936657). CC BY 2.0.
MLA Style Works Cited Example (8th Edition)
Vollmer, Timothy. "Creative Commons 10th Birthday Celebration San Francisco." Flickr, 8 Dec. 2012, https://www.flickr.com/photos/sixteenmilesofstring/8256206923/in/set-72157632200936657. CC BY 2.0 license.
Images, diagrams and artistic works should be cited as you would cite any other type of work.
NOTE:
You should give as much information as possible about the images that you have used, including these basics:
GENERAL FORMAT
In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):
(Artist Surname, Year)
In-Text Citation (Quotation):
(Artist Surname, Year)
References:
Artist Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Title of the artwork [Format]. Title of the Website. URL (address of web site)
References (No Author):
Title of work [Type of work]. (Year image was created). Title of the Website. URL (address of web site)
References (No Author, No Title, No Date):
[Subject and type of work]. Title of the Website. URL (address of web site)
Many images found on the Web fall under this category. Try to locate the missing information by clicking on the image, and/or looking at the bottom of the image.
EXAMPLE
In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):
(Baumel, 2010)
In-Text Citation (Quotation):
(Baumel, 2010)
References (Basic):
Baumel, A. (2010). Cholera treatment center in Haiti [Online image]. Doctors Without Borders. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org
References (No Author):
Flu epidemic [Online image]. (1919). History. http://www.history.net/photo/flu-epidemic-art/collections
References (No Author, No Title, No Date):
[Untitled illustration of a sleeping dog]. Sleeping Animals. http://www.sleepinganimals/pix.com
Source: The Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library
It's essential to give credit when you use the work of others. This gives credibility to your work, contributes positively to the academic community, and helps you avoid plagiarism. In academic writing and research, we usually use a specific set of standard guidelines such as those developed by the Modern Language Association (MLA), the American Psychological Association (APA), or the American Medical Association (AMA).
Visit the quick guides below to get started with citing sources:
