IB DP Academic Integrity: How to Cite Visuals, Graphs, and Tables in IB DP Work

Picture this: you are polishing a paragraph for your Internal Assessment, refining the argument in your Extended Essay, or designing a TOK presentation. A well-chosen image, a clear graph or a neat table can lift your point from abstract to tangible. But every visual is someone s work or someone s data — it has provenance. In the IB Diploma Programme, handling that provenance carefully is part of doing your work honestly and professionally.

This article is written for IB students working on IAs, EEs and TOK who want clear, practical steps for citing visuals correctly. You will get short templates you can adapt to your referencing style, subject-focused advice, a compact cheat-sheet table, and a hands-on workflow to keep your submissions neat, consistent and safe from academic-honesty issues. I also note ways Sparkl‘s tailored guidance can help polish captions and check adaptation notes where needed.

Why visuals matter — and why correct citation is non-negotiable

Visuals are evidence. A graph displays measured relationships, a photograph documents context, and a table summarizes data. Because visuals can shape an examiner s interpretation, the IB expects students to be transparent about where visuals come from and what work the student has carried out. Proper citation does three important jobs: it credits creators, it allows others to find original sources, and it makes your use of the material honest and reproducible.

Beyond honesty, clear visual citation strengthens your argument. When you label a figure, explain its source and briefly state how it was produced or changed, you help the reader follow your reasoning. That clarity often translates into clearer analysis — exactly what IB examiners reward.

IB expectations in practice

The IB requires that work submitted by students be the students own and that any use of other people s ideas or materials is acknowledged. For visuals, this typically means the following elements should appear in your document:

Sequential figure or table numbering (Figure 1, Figure 2; Table 1, Table 2).
A concise descriptive caption explaining what the visual shows.
A short source or credit line under the visual indicating who made it, its type (photograph, dataset, adapted figure) and whether it is reproduced or adapted.
A full reference in the bibliography or works cited list so the original source can be located.
A clear statement if you adapted the visual or used someone else s raw data to create it.

For TOK, visuals are often evidence in a discussion about knowledge; the provenance and potential bias of the visual are part of the analysis. For IAs and EEs, examiners need traceability: if your graph claims certain values, the origin of those numbers should be clear.

The anatomy of a correctly cited visual

Think of each visual as a little package of information with defined labels. Treat it like a labelling exercise: the clearer the label, the easier the grader s job and the safer your submission is from accusations of malpractice.

Figure/Table number: sequential and unambiguous. Start anew in each chapter or keep a single sequence depending on your stylistic choice, but be consistent.
Caption: a short description that tells the reader what they are looking at and highlights the point the visual supports. Keep it concise and informative.
Credit/source line: directly beneath the visual include a one-line note: author or creator, type of material, short date if known or n.d., and whether it is reproduced or adapted.
Adaptation statement: if you changed axes, re-categorised groups, combined charts, or re-coloured a map, add ‘adapted from’ or ‘based on’ so your reader knows the work is not verbatim.
Licence/permission note: where relevant, show the licence or permission status in the credit line (for example, CC BY or reproduced with permission).
In-text reference: when you discuss the visual in your prose, point explicitly to it (for example, see Figure 3) and offer a short interpretation; don t leave the figure to do all the talking.
Bibliography entry: a full citation in your reference list so anyone can retrace your steps and locate the original source.
Raw data or appendix note: for student-plotted graphs, indicate where the raw data are stored (appendix, data annex, repository) and include it if the assessment format allows.

Quick reference table — at a glance

Type of visual	Caption example	In-text cue	Bibliography signpost	Permission required?
Photograph from a website	Figure 1. Coastal erosion at Site A. Source: Johnson (photograph, n.d.).	see Figure 1	Johnson, L. Title or description [Photograph]. Website name. n.d.	Often yes; check licence
Graph reproduced from an article	Figure 2. Energy output over time (reproduced from Lee).	Figure 2 shows…	Lee, B. Article title. Journal name. n.d.	Possibly; cite and note permission if required
Table adapted from a report	Table 1. Comparative indicators (adapted from Garcia).	see Table 1	Garcia, M. Report title. Publisher. n.d.	Adaptation often allowed if credited; check source terms
Graph created from an external dataset	Figure 3. Temperature trend (data from National Dataset).	as shown in Figure 3	National Agency. Title of dataset [Dataset]. n.d.	Check dataset licence
Your own image or student-generated graph	Figure 4. Reaction rate vs concentration (student experiment).	see Figure 4	Student name. Unpublished data/photograph.	No

Practical citation examples you can adapt

The IB does not force a single bibliographic style, but it does require consistency. Below are short templates you can copy into your document and adapt to APA, MLA or Chicago conventions. Replace placeholders with actual authors, titles and source names and do not forget to add the figure number and caption directly beneath each figure or table.

Example: Reproduced photograph (APA-style template)

Caption beneath the image: Figure 1. Community garden plot (photo: A. Rivera, n.d.). Source: Rivera, A., reproduced with permission.

Bibliography entry: Rivera, A. Title or description [Photograph]. Name of website or archive. n.d.

Example: Adapted graph from a published paper

Caption beneath the graph: Figure 2. Monthly discharge rates (adapted from Lee, n.d.). Note: data points recalculated for monthly averages.

Bibliography entry: Lee, B. Title of article. Journal name, volume(issue), pages. n.d.

Example: Graph made from a public dataset

Caption: Figure 3. Annual rainfall totals plotted from National Dataset (data accessed from National Agency, n.d.).

Reference list: National Agency. Title of dataset [Dataset]. Publisher or repository. n.d.

These templates show the pattern: concise caption, short source line beneath the visual and a complete bibliographic entry. If the resource is online and your chosen style calls for a URL or access date, include that in the bibliography, but keep the caption short.

Subject-specific notes: Internal Assessments, Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge

Internal Assessments (IAs)

IAs often depend on student-collected data. Examiners need to see your experimental method and how you processed data. If you present a graph made from your measurements, include the following in the caption or an adjacent note: axis labels with units, the meaning of any fitted lines or regression values, the software used to create the plot, and where the raw data can be found (appendix or data file). If you borrowed a published figure to compare with your results, mark it as reproduced or adapted and give the full reference.

One practical tip: if a graph is crucial to your conclusion, add a short appendix entry that explains exactly how you obtained the numbers. That level of transparency both protects your academic honesty and strengthens your scientific argument.

Extended Essay (EE)

The EE will be assessed on the quality of research, analysis and presentation. Visuals should therefore be integrated into the essay s argument. Add clear captions and full references, and if the illustration is not your own work, explain its provenance and relevance in the body text. If you need permission to reproduce a high-quality image or chart, document the permission in a short appendix; for public-domain or openly licensed material, indicate the licence in the credit line.

Because the EE is often read as a single piece, a list of figures or a clear labelling scheme helps examiners navigate. If you would like hands-on feedback on arranging and citing visuals in a longer piece, Sparkl‘s tutors can provide focused advice on integrating figures and preparing appendices in a way that highlights your original contribution.

Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

TOK asks you to interrogate how knowledge is produced and presented. A photograph, graph or table can be a rich focus for analysis, but it must be treated as evidence with provenance. Cite the source exactly, then critique it: who produced the visual, what questions did they ask, how might selection or framing influence the knowledge claim? Citing the visual is only the first step; explaining its limitations makes your TOK argument persuasive.

Permissions, copyright and Creative Commons

Not all materials on the internet are free to reuse. If a creator or publisher requires permission, obtain it and keep a record. Many creators use Creative Commons licences; these typically require specific attribution language and sometimes forbid commercial use or derivatives. If you use a CC-licensed image, include the attribution format the licence requires in your credit line (author, title, licence). When permission is granted by email, note the date and who authorised the use and store that evidence in your project folder or an appendix.

Simple rule of thumb: when in doubt, recreate the image yourself. Replotting a graph from a dataset, redrawing a chart, or taking your own photograph is often quicker and safer than navigating license permissions, and it demonstrates your technical skill.

Practical workflow: capture, caption and catalogue

Consistency is everything. Below is a practical workflow that turns citation from chore to habit.

Capture source details immediately: when you find an image or dataset, copy author, title, publisher, site name and licence details into a running log or reference manager.
Name files clearly: use a descriptive filename that links the visual to the figure number or dataset, for example Figure3_soilph_experiment.csv or Fig2_coast_erosion.jpg.
Insert a caption right away: make the caption short but informative and add a brief source line under the visual so that you never forget to cite it later.
Add full reference: place a complete entry in your bibliography at the moment you add the figure so nothing gets lost at the last minute.
Document modifications: note briefly if you adapted or combined sources and describe the change in the caption (adapted from, combined data from, re-scaled axes).
Store permissions: keep permission emails and licence screenshots in a permissions folder or appendix.

Reference-management software or a simple spreadsheet can hold all this metadata. If you don t already use a tool, even a two-column table that records ‘file name’ and ‘full reference’ will reduce stress and last-minute errors.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Leaving visuals uncited: always add a source line under the figure; it only takes ten seconds and avoids big problems.
Forgetting to state adaptations: if you changed the original, say ‘adapted from’ and describe the change.
Using low-quality screenshots: where possible, download originals or replot the data for clarity and professionalism.
Inconsistent style: choose a referencing style and apply it to captions and bibliography without mixing formats.
Over-reliance on third-party visuals: whenever possible, create your own visuals from raw data to show your skills and avoid permission issues.

Final pre-submission checklist

Every figure and table is numbered and captioned.
Short source/credit lines appear under every external visual.
All external visuals are listed in the bibliography with full details.
Adapted visuals are labelled as adapted and changes are described.
Permission records are stored where required.
Raw data used to plot graphs are included in appendices or clearly referenced.
Each visual is referenced and interpreted in the body text.

Adopting these practices will protect your academic integrity and improve the clarity of your argument. Good visual citation communicates that you understand the provenance of evidence and respect the work of other creators, which is precisely what IB assessment seeks to reward.

Careful, consistent citation of visuals, graphs and tables protects your academic integrity and helps examiners fairly assess the strength of your evidence and reasoning.