When conducting an online search for an image to use as a reference, consider the following:
And remember, if you can’t find what you are looking for online, try taking your own reference photos.
When in doubt, don't use the image.
Image attribution, or giving credit to the creator of the image that you are using, should include the following details:
Example in APA citation format:
Wang, J.C. (2008). Bur oak [Photograph]. Flickr https://bit.ly/2RZ6zIk
Example of Creative Commons license attribution:
"Ottawa, Parlamento," by Angel de los Rios, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Attribution: Similar to citation. You are crediting the creator of the work and/or the holder of the copyright.
Creative Commons: A non-profit organization started in 2001 that "provides Creative Commons licenses and public domain tools that give every person and organization in the world a free, simple, and standardized way to grant copyright permissions for creative and academic works; ensure proper attribution; and allow others to copy, distribute, and make use of those works." For information regarding the six varieties of CC licenses go here.
Open Access: Open access, or OA, refers to the unrestricted use of electronic resources. "Any kind of digital content can be OA, from texts and data to software, audio, video, and multi-media."
Public Domain: A creative work without exclusive intellectual property rights (copyright).
Stock Photography: An industry in which photographs are supplied to be used commercially, such as in advertising.