Figure Source Notes
A figure source note tells readers where the displayed data or adapted material came from. In styles that separate these elements, it belongs below the figure rather than inside the title or descriptive caption.
Put a figure’s data-source attribution with the figure—commonly in a source note below it—using the document’s citation style. Keep a data-source note distinct from the descriptive caption or title when your style guide does so.
Key details
Important caveats
Boundary
Keep source attribution distinct from the descriptive title/caption when the house style separates them; the Australian Style Manual explicitly places source-of-data information in image notes rather than ordinary captions.
Copyright Boundary
Copyright or permission attribution may follow different rules from a data-source note, especially for photographs or artworks, so follow the applicable referencing/licensing system.
Further guidance
Placement
For figures using sourced data, place the data source in the figure notes below the image when the governing style uses that structure.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Images (opens in a new tab)Australian Government Style Manual · Image/figure note ordering and placement of source-of-data notes below figures