Does my professor's MLA 9 rubric require in‑text citations for images?

Yes, your professor’s rubric does require in-text citations for your images, even if you have already included a detailed caption directly beneath the visual. In MLA 9, images are treated similarly to quoted text, meaning they require a dual-system approach to citation. The caption under the image itself serves as the primary source of information, but you must also refer to that image within your body paragraphs using a parenthetical citation. If you do not connect the image to your actual written argument, it looks like decorative clutter rather than academic evidence. To see how this works in practice, imagine you are writing a paper on gothic motifs in Victorian novels and decide to include a scanned plate of an original illustration from an 1890 edition of a book. Beneath the illustration, you would place a label like Figure 1, followed by the title and creator. Then, in the body of your essay where you analyze the visual details of that illustration, you would write a sentence explaining how the dark shadows reflect the protagonist's internal conflict, ending the sentence with a parenthetical citation pointing the reader to Figure 1. This guides your reader's eyes directly to the visual evidence at the exact moment you discuss it. To get this sorted before your deadline, start by reviewing your draft to ensure every image is labeled sequentially as a figure. Next, double-check that your body paragraphs explicitly discuss each image and include those corresponding parenthetical pointers. Finally, write a quick email to your professor or visit their office hours with a sample page to confirm that your integration of the figures matches their specific expectations for the rubric. Taking these steps now will give you peace of mind and keep your grading on track for your final submission.