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Referencing for Vietnam Campus: RMIT Harvard Style

Artworks and images

When using artworks or images in your assignment, acknowledge them in THREE places:

  1. Figure layout (caption)
  2. In-text reference
  3. Reference list

Note:

  • Artworks and images (non-artworks) that you use in your assignment or for study purposes do not need the copyright permissions that are required for publishing or commercial use. However, it is essential that you give credit to the creator of the work and reference it in your work.
  • Your lecturer may have specific requirements for referencing artworks or images (non-artwork). Any directions given by your lecturer must be followed, even if they differ from this guide. 

Figure layout (Caption)

For your own work

Rule

Figure number: Brief description of the artwork or image.

Example

Figure 1: Car sketch created by the author in AutoCAD, 2020.

For work reproduced from other sources

A. If created by the source (the same source where you found it)

Rule:

Figure number: Brief description of the artwork or image. Source: Creator’s Family Name/Organisation Year of publication.

Example:

Figure 1: Diagram of the lateral nasal cavity. Source: Primal Pictures, n.d.

B. If created by someone else (not created by the source where you found it)

If an artwork does not have a title

Figure number: Brief description of the artwork or image. Source: Creator’s Family Name Year of creation.

If an artwork has its own title

Figure number: Title of artwork. Source: Creator’s Family Name Year of creation.

Example:

Figure 2: Still Life with Flowers. Source: Pollock, 1952.

 

Unknown creator

Rule:

Figure number: a brief description of the artwork. Source: Title of artwork year of creation

Example"

Figure 5: A silk tapestry depicting dragons and flowers. Source: Tapestry with dragons and flowers 11-12th century.

  • Figures (artworks, images): Number them in order (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.).
  • If there are two artists, list out both of them.
  • No year available: Use "n.d." (no date). If the year is estimated, use "c." (circa) followed by the year. Example: c. 1900.

In-text reference

  • Include the artist's family name and year in the in-text reference.
  • Put the title of the artwork in italics if it is mentioned in your writing. 
  • Refer to the figure number when you discuss the artwork. See examples below:

Figure 2: Still Life with Flowers. Source: Pollock, 1952.

  • As illustrated in Figure 2, the painting Still life with flower (Fantin-Latour 1881) depicts...
  • Fantin-Latour's painting (1881) is one of the best oil on canvas artworks of the nineteenth century (see Figure 2).

Note:

  • If the artwork or image creator is different from the source author, cite the creator and the year it was made.
  • Do not refer to an artwork or image as " figure above" or " figure below" or " figure on page 3".

Reference list

For artwork or images you create yourself

  • It's not typically listed in the references. But it's a good idea to confirm with your teacher.

Online sources from a web page

Rule:

Creator's Family Name Initial (Year) Title of artwork or image [format], Name of Website website, accessed Day Month Year. URL

Example:

  • Kaiser P (1975) Growing over the fence [synthetic polymer paint on canvas], National Gallery of Victoria website, accessed 22 May 2024. https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/60587/
  • Tapestry with dragons and flowers (11th-12th century) [silk tapestry], The Metropolitan Museum of Art website, accessed 22 May 2024. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39733

Note:

Example of format

  • digital map
  • synthetic polymer paint on canvas
  • photograph 

Online sources from a Library database

Rule:

Creator's Family Name Initial (Year) Title of artwork or image [format], accessed Day Month Year, Name of Database database.

Example:

Primal Pictures (n.d.) Lateral nasal cavity [interactive 3D illustration], accessed 19 August 2022, Anatomy.tv database.

Note:

In RMIT Harvard, don't include a URL link if there's a database name. However, for images from the WGSN database, include both the database name and URL for easier image access.

Example:

  • Chanel (n.d.) cha_mon_ps23_003 [photograph], accessed 22 May 2024, WGSN database. https://www.wgsn.com/content/image_viewer/#/image.35640165

Physical sources viewed in-person

Rule:

Creator's family name Initial (Year) Title of artwork or image [format], Name of Museum/Gallery/Public Space, Location of Museum/Gallery/Public Space.

Example:

Dwyer M (2021) Apparition [night-time digital projection onto holo-gauze screen], University Square, Carlton, VIC.

Note:

Example of format

  • Night-time digital projection onto holo-gauze screen
  • Oil, enamel, aluminum paint, and glass on canvas

Maps 

Rule:

Creator’s Family Name Initial (Year of creation) Title of map [format], Name of Publisher, Place of Publication.

Example:

Melway (2021) Geelong [print map], Melway, Clayton, VIC.

Note:

Use these labels within the [format] field:

  • [digital map]: for online maps found on websites or Library databases that were created digitally. Most maps today are like this.
  • [print map]: for hardcopy maps.
  • [digitised map]: for maps that were originally in hardcopy format but are now digitized.

A. For images produced using an AI tool

Caption:

Figure number: Description or explanation

Example

Figure 1: Image generated using Adobe Firefly from the prompt “interstellar purple and orange space squid.”

Note:

No reference list entry is required for an image produced using an AI tool.

B. For AI-generated images reproduced in a published source

Caption:

Figure number: Creator's family name Initial [if artist/creator is known] OR leave blank if artist/creator unknown (year produced) Title or description of artwork or image [format], referencing details of where artwork or image was found

Example:

An AI-generated image found from a newspaper.

Figure number: Creator's family name Initial [if artist/creator is known] OR leave blank if artist/creator unknown (year produced) Title or description of artwork or image [format], Author's family name Initial (Day Month Year) 'Title of article: subtitle of article', Name of Newspaper or Magazine, accessed Day Month Year. URL

Figure 1: Allen JM (2022) Théâtre D’opéra Spatial [artwork generated using Midjourney], Roose K (2 September 2022) 'An A.I.-Generated Picture Won an Art Prize. Artists Aren’t Happy.', The New York Times, accessed 3 March 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/technology/ai-artificial-intelligence-artists.html

Reference

  • If using reproduced images, reference the published source.

Others

In-text citation:

  • Cite the title of the artwork or image in italics and the year of creation instead. Do not put "Unknown creator/artist".

Example:

(Tapestry with dragons and flowers 11th-12th century)


In your reference list:

  • Start with the artwork or image title in italics, followed by the year of creation in parentheses, then the format in square brackets. Do not put "Unknown creator/artist".

Example:

  • Tapestry with dragons and flowers (11th-12th century) [silk tapestry], The Metropolitan Museum of Art website, accessed 22 May 2024. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/39733

If the title of a work is not available in your reference list, create a short description to use in place of the title.

Example

  • Dine J (1973) Painting of a scissor [oil and acrylic painting], Tate website, accessed 22 May 2024. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/dine-no-title-p02537