Skip to Main Content

APA Citation Guide (7th Edition): Figures and Tables

Note: This guide reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7).

General Rules

Figures and tables enable authors to present a large amount of information efficiently and to make their data more understandable.

  • There are two options for the placement of figures and tables in a paper. The first option is to place all figures/tables on separate pages after the reference list. The second option is to embed each figure/table within the text.
  • In the text, refer to (call out) every figure and table by its number. For example:
    • As shown in Figure 1 ....
    • ... the results of the experiment (see Table 1).
  • Each figure and table needs to be numbered in the order in which they appear in the document, e.g., Table 1, Table 2.
  • Figures and tables may not have a set title. If this is the case, give a description of the figure or table where you would normally put the title.

Figures and Tables are covered in Chapter 7 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition.

Copyright Issues

Reproducing Figures & Tables

Reproducing happens when you copy or recreate a figure or table that is not your original creation. If you reproduce one of these works in your assignment, you must create a note underneath the figure or table to show where you found it. You do not include this information in a Reference list.

How to Determine Usage Rights on Google

If you are searching for images on Google, after your search, click the Images tab > Tools > Usage Rights > Creative Commons Licenses

For more information on copyright, please visit our guide Copyright 101.

Figures

Figures Defined

Any type of illustration or image other than a table is referred to as a figure. A figure may be a chart, a graph, a photograph, a drawing, an infographic, etc.

Figure Components

  • Number: The figure number (e.g., Figure 1) appears above the figure in bold font.
  • Title: The figure title appears below the figure number in italic title case. There should be one double-spaced line between the figure number and the figure title.
  • Image: The image part of the figure is the photograph, chart , graph, drawing, illustration, etc.
  • Legend: The figure legend, if present, explains any symbols used in the figure image.
  • Note: There are three types of figure notes: general, specific, and probability. They appear below the figure and explain parts of the figure that cannot be explained from the figure title, image, or legend. For example, figure notes can be definitions of abbreviations, copyright attributions, etc. A figure may not require notes.

Figure Examples

The American Psychological Association created a helpful website called APA Style. On this website, there are several figure samples which illustrate how to set up figures in APA Style.

Tables

Tables Defined

Tables are visual displays composed of columns and rows in which numbers, text, or a combination of numbers and text are presented.

Table Components

  • Number: The table number (e.g., Table 1) appears above the table title in bold font. 
  • Title: The table title appears below the table number in italic title case. There should be one double-spaced line between the table number and the table title.
  • Headings: All tables should include column headings, including a stub heading (heading for the leftmost, or stub, column). Center column headings and capitalize them in sentence case.
  • Body: The table body includes the rows and columns of a table. It may be single, 1.5, or double-spaced.
  • Note: There are three types of table notes: general, specific, and probability. Table notes appear below the table as needed to describe table content that can't be understood from the title, table body, or legend. Not all tables include notes.

Table Examples

The American Psychological Association created a helpful website called APA Style. On this website, there are table samples which illustrate how to set up tables in APA Style.