Tables and Figures

By the Walden University Writing Center Staff

Adapted from Waldens Dissertation Guidebook (p. 30).
In the body of your paper, information that does not appear in textual form must be formatted
and labeled as either a table or figure. APA does not allow for the words graph, illustration, or
chart. Refer to them as either a table or a figure. If data are presented in rows and columns, label
as a table; if data are presented in a chart, graph, photo, or illustration, label as a figure.
In dissertations, tables and figures are inserted into the narrative as close to the text that
introduces them as is practical after a paragraph. Do not split a table unless it is too large to fit on
one entire page. Placing a table on its own landscape-oriented page is permissible. Do not place
any text on a page if a table or figure takes up 75% or more of the page.
Tables and figures must fit within the margin specifications. Do not separate a title or caption
from the table or figure it identifies.
Use plain type for column headings and row labels. Use sentence case for column and row text,
maintaining capitalization of proper nouns and names of scales, for example. Bold type may be
used for emphasis of some table data (see Table 5.3 on p. 132).
Limit the use of rules, or lines, to those necessary for clarity. Use horizontal lines only.
Table text may be single- or double-spaced; consider readability in your line-spacing decision.
The font size used in tables and figures may be smaller than that used in the text; however, to
ensure a professional appearance and legibility, it should be no smaller than 8 point and no larger
than 12 point. Use 12 point font in the titles, notes, and captions.
Tables and figures are to be numbered without a suffix or indicator of the chapter in which they
appear: Table 1, Table 2, Table 3; Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, and so on. In the text, capitalize
the words table or figure when referring to them (for example: see Table 12). Refer to the
specific table number, not to the page number on which it appears or as the table below.
If your table or figure is for a course paper with no intention of publication, you do not need to
get permission to include it; that is considered fair use. If you are going to use it in your
dissertation or doctoral study, you do need permission. The examples in the APA manual show
how to note sources and copyright, but some publishers will give you specific guidelines. See
ProQuests website for more information on using copyrighted material in your study:
http://www.proquest.com/assets/downloads/products/UMI_CopyrightGuide.pdf

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Tables
Place the word Table and the table number above the table, flush left. Place the title of the table
(in title case), double-spaced, under the table number, flush left in italics. Double- or triple-space
before and after the table; be consistent. For more on tables, see APA pages 125150.
Information regarding abbreviations or symbols used in a table, copyright information, and
probability must be located in a Note below the table. See APA 5.16 for formatting information.
In dissertations, if a table extends beyond one page, type the phrase table continues in
parentheses flush right at the bottom of the table. Repeat the column headings on each new page
(see Dissertation Guidebook, p. 42).

Example of an APA-style table:

Table 4
Comparison of Boys and Girls by Height and Weight
Variable

Average
height

Average
weight

Average
behavior incident

Average
truancy

Boys (n = 60)

5 ft 1 in

120 lbs

14

6 days

Girls (n = 62)

5 ft 2 in

105 lbs

0.5 days

Note. From Analysis of Middle School Hormones, by W. Steeves, 2001, Journal of Despair,
98, p. 11. Reprinted with permission.

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Figures
Place the word Figure and the figure number under the figure, flush left in italics. The title of the
figure goes next to the number in sentence case. In dissertations, do not type captions on a
separate page. Avoid use of color in figures; use grayscale shading or cross-hatching when
necessary. For more on figures, see APA pages 150167.

Example of an APA-style figure:

9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
15 years

510 years

1018 years

1824 years

2430 years

30 or older

Figure 1. Bar graph showing hours of television watched per week by age group. From Impact
of television on teenagers, by A. B. Alphabet, 2010, Journal of Television, 4(1), p. 145.
Reprinted with permission.

Created 2011.
Updated 2014 January 22.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
License by the Walden University Writing Center.
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