The following terms are typically used when discussing visual materials or images that might be included in a student paper or thesis. Except where noted, the definitions are from the Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary (MW) and the Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science (ODLIS).
Caption: A brief title, explanation, or description appearing immediately above, beneath, or adjacent to an illustration or photograph on a page, sometimes indicating the source of the image. ODLIS
Chart: Information in the form of a table, diagram, etc. MW
Cover art: The illustration or photograph printed on the outside of a publication, such as a book, magazine, comic book, DVD, VHS tape, video game, CD, or record album. ODLIS
Creator: The person responsible for producing an original work of visual art. ODLIS
Credit line (or Credit): A brief statement giving the name of the author, artist, agency, or publication that is the source of a picture, photograph, or quotation reproduced in an article or book, or on a Web page, usually displayed immediately below the illustration or portion of text or given at the end of the caption. Credit lines are sometimes printed together in a separate section in the front matter or back matter of a book or in a paragraph on another page in a periodical. ODLIS
Diagram: A figure, chart, or graphic design intended to illustrate or explain a principle, concept, or set of statistical data. Also, a drawing, sketch, or plan that shows the steps in a process or the relationship of the parts of an object or structure to the whole, usually simplified for the sake of clarity and utility. ODLIS
Figure: Illustrative matter printed with the text, rather than separately in the form of plates. Figures are usually fairly simple line drawings, numbered consecutively in arabic numerals in order of appearance to facilitate reference. Figures not individually captioned may be listed with captions on a separate page, usually in the front matter of a book. (The number assigned to a plate is called a figure number.) ODLIS
Graph: A diagram that shows (1) quantity in relation to a whole (pie graph), (2) the distribution of separate values of a variable in relation to another (scatter graph), or (3) change in the value of a variable in relation to another (coordinate graph, histogram, etc.), for example, change in the average price of a journal subscription over time. ODLIS
Graphic: Any two-dimensional nontextual, still representation. ODLIS
Illustration: A picture, plate, diagram, plan, chart, map, design, or other graphic image printed with or inserted in the text of a book or other publication as an embellishment or to complement or elucidate the text. ODLIS
Image: A visual representation of something: as (1) a likeness of an object produced on a photographic material or (2) a picture produced on an electronic display (as a television or computer screen) MW
Label: Descriptive terms that appear within an illustration.
List of Figures (or List of Illustrations): Ordered list of figures or illustrations included in a text (typically a book, dissertation, or thesis). The List of Figures is usually located in the front matter of the document.
List of Tables: Ordered list of tables included in a text (typically a book, dissertation, or thesis). The List of Tables is usually located in the front matter of the document.
Map: (1) A picture or chart that shows the rivers, mountains, streets, etc., in a particular area; (2) a picture or chart that shows the different parts of something. MW
Plate: Illustrative matter in a book or other publication, usually printed with or without explanatory text on a leaf of different quality paper than the main text, with the reverse side often blank or bearing a descriptive legend. Plates are usually inserted in the sections after gathering, either distributed throughout the text or in one or more groups. (The number assigned to a plate is called a plate number.) ODLIS
Stock photo: A still photograph taken in the past and kept on file for use when no current picture is available, as distinct from one taken specifically for the purpose at hand. Newspapers usually maintain a file of stock photographs, especially portraits of well-known individuals, pictures of landmarks, etc., for use as the occasion arises. ODLIS
Table: The compact arrangement of facts, figures, or other data in vertical rows and columns to facilitate comparison, usually with a title across the top or an explanatory caption or note written or printed underneath. ODLIS