Tables and Figures (7.2)

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (the Publication Manual) contains a thorough explanation of the purpose, design and preparation of tables and figures. You can find this information in Chapter 7 of the Publication Manual. In this simplified text, only basic information about formatting tables and figures is included.

Purpose of Tables and Figures (7.1)

Tables show numerical values or textual information, and they are arranged in columns and rows. A figure can be a chart, a graph, a photograph, an illustration, or any other non-text information.

Placement of Tables and Figures (7.6)

There are two ways to include tables and figures in an essay or other assignment:

• Place all figures and tables on separate pages after the reference list, with each table or figure on a separate page.

OR

• Embed each table and figure in the text after its first callout.

Students should follow the directions in their assignment or from their instructor to determine where tables and figures should appear in an essay or assignment.

There are specific formatting requirements for tables and figures. These are found in Chapter 7 of the Publication Manual:

• All tables and figures must have a table or figure number, a title, a body (for tables) or an image (for figures), and any necessary notes (7.4)
• Wherever possible, use a standardized or canonical form for a table or figure. (7.2, 7.21, 7.36)
• Label all columns in tables and all elements in figures (7.2)
• Place tables and elements that are being compared next to one another (7.2)
• Place labels next to the elements that they are identifying (7.2)
• In figure images, use a sans serif font that can be read without magnification (7.2)
• Tables and figures should be designed so that they can be understood on their own. This means that they should be understood even without reading the text of the essay or assignment (7.2)
• Avoid any decorative elements and keep tables and figures as clear and simple as possible. Extra elements can be distracting, and can interfere with a reader’s ability to understand the table or figure (7.2)
• It is important to note that the Publication Manual has a full chapter about tables and figures, while this section is only a summary. Students wishing to include tables and figures in their essay or assignment should review this information in the Publication Manual and their assignment to make sure that they are meeting all of the requirements.
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Sources

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: The official guide to APA style. (7th ed.).