Tables and Figures

This section will cover how to create and format tables and figures (click on each link to navigate to their respective sections) in APA format. For more specific questions on tables and figures, visit the APA Style page on Tables and figures. 

Tables

In APA style, tables can typically consist of five different aspects: 

  • Table number: The number of the table (ex. Table 1) appears in bold above the table title. Tables are numbered in the order they appear in your paper. 
  • Table title: The table title appears one double-spaced line below the table number. Titles are written in italics. Table titles should be short, brief, and written in title case. 
  • Headings: Headings note different aspects of the data in the body. Headings in an APA table are single spaced. APA tables can contain four different types of headings:
    • Stub Headings: Stub headings describe the left hand column, primarily noting independent variables. 
    • Column Headings: Column headings describe data just below it in the same column. 
    • Column Spanners: Column headings describe two or more column headers below them. The combination of column spanners and column headings are called decked headers. 
    • Table Spanners: Table spanners cover the entire length of a table. Table spanners can divide or combine tables with the same column headings. 
  • Body: The body consists of all the rows and columns that consist of the table data. Everything in the body of the table is single-spaced. Each entry should be center-aligned and word entries should be written in sentence case. Keep measurements of data consistent throughout the entire data. 
  • Notes: Basic notes are written directly underneath the table and are double-spaced. Notes are started with Notes. written in italics before the note itself. 

Below is an example of a table in APA format.

For more information on how to set up and format tables, visit the APA style guide on Tables. 

Figures

The common types of figures usually found in APA papers are graphs, charts, drawings, maps, plots, and photos. Figures must be sized appropriately and be visually clear and clean. 

In APA style, figures can typically consist of four parts: 

  1. Figure number: The number of the figure (ex. Figure 1) appears in bold above the figure title. Figures are numbered in the order they appear in your paper. 
  1. Figure title: The figure title appears one double-spaced line below the figure number. Titles are written in italics. Figure titles should be short, brief, and written in title case.
  1. Figure: The image of the figure appears below the figure title. For figures containing data, axis labels and other headings should be written in title case. Additionally, figures containing data should include a legend within or underneath the figure. 
  1. Notes: Basic notes are written directly underneath the figure and are double-spaced. Notes are started with Notes. written in italics before the note itself. 

Below is an example of a figure in APA format.

Figure Number

Figure Title

Note. An example of a note describing anything needed to understand the visual.