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Obviously, with a proper attribution. Thank you.

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Normally yes, as long as you clearly cite the source (even if the license does not require it, plagiarism rules do) and of course the image should be appropriate for the research proposal (regardless of source). To be sure, carefully check any rules applying to your particular research proposal; it is possible (but unlikely) they have unusual rules that may prohibit this. For details on how to cite, see this summary page on Wikimedia Commons (thanks Buffy for the pointer). Note: most images on Wikimedia Commons are not public domain, but under another free license — check the specific image for details (it's even possible images have been wrongly uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, but there are limits in how far you can practically go to verify that the license information there is correct).

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  • See the Wikimedia statement here: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/…
    – Buffy
    Commented Oct 4, 2020 at 18:08
  • It may be worth stressing that an image being on wikimedia commons, does not imply that it is in the public domain! More than likely it under a creative commons license or similar (which probably would not pose a problem for inclusion). However, it might also appear under a "fair use" rational. It is even possible that the image should not appear on Wikimedia commons at all, because it is copyrighted and does not have the appropriate license.
    – TimRias
    Commented Oct 5, 2020 at 8:06
  • @mmeent Thanks, added (as for your final point: yes, but there are limits in what end users can practically verify).
    – gerrit
    Commented Oct 5, 2020 at 8:44
  • @mmeent, your claim that images may appear on Wikimedia Commons only under a "fair use" rationale is not correct. Wikimedia Commons is designed as a repository of images released exclusively under a free content licence, or in the public domain. You may be thinking of some of Commons's sister projects, such as Wikipedia, which may allow fair-use images under some circumstances.
    – Psychonaut
    Commented Oct 5, 2020 at 12:29

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