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Guidelines to APA Style: Tables and figures

Libguide on citing sources in APA Style.

Types of images

The APA guidelines distinguish between two types of images: tables and figures.

  • A table is characterized by information arranged in columns and rows, that can be read horizontally and vertically.
  • All other images, such as photographs, diagrams, charts, drawings, infographics and illustrations, are figures.
  • All images are given a number and a title, placed in bold above the table or figure, followed by a white line and the title in italics.
  • If necessary, below the table or figure a note can give additional information, preferably in a smaller font.
    A note is also used to indicate if the table or figure was taken from a publication. If so, also include a copyright notice or a Creative Commons licence or In the public domain. When a copyright notice is missing, write Copyright n.d. by unknown.
    If a table or figure is altered, change 'From' into 'Adapted from'.
  • Provide a reference list entry for the work the table or figure was reproduced from.

 

Table

Tables are visual displays composed of columns and rows in which numbers, text, or a combination of numbers and text are presented.
There are many common kinds of tables, including demographic characteristics tables, correlation tables, factor analysis tables, analysis of variance tables, and regression tables.

The source citation consists of the following components:

  1. In text

    (see Table X) or: In Table X ...
     
  2. Above the table: number and title

    Table X

    Table title
     
  3. Below the table: Note

    Note. From (or: Adapted from) Main title in italics (p. x), by A. Author, publication year, Name of publisher. Copyright year of publication, Name of copyright holder.

    The comment below the table may appear in a smaller font.
     
  4. Reference list entry
  • Table from a book

(see Table 1) or: Table 1 shows an example ...


Table 1

Example of recalling activity of Skinner’s teaching machine

Note. From Evidence-informed learning design (p. 25), by M. Neelen and P. A. Kirschner, 2020, Kogan Page. Copyright 2020 by Mirjam Neelen and Paul A. Kirschner.
 

Neelen, M., & Kirschner, P. A. (2020). Evidence-informed learning design: Creating training to improve performance. Kogan Page.

 

  • Table from a journal article

(see Table 2) or: Table 2 shows 20 studies ...


Table 2

Serotonin transporter genes identified in systematic review

Note. From “Trauma and gene expression,” by S. R. Pilkay and T. Combs-Orme, 2020, Social Work Research, 44(1), p. 15 (https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svz024). Copyright 2020 by National Association of Social Workers.
 

Pilkay, S. R., & Combs-Orme, T. (2020). Trauma and gene expression: Understanding the connections. Social Work Research, 44(1), 7-20. https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svz024

 

  • Table from a webpage

(see Table 3) or: Table 3 shows the common channels ...


Table 3

Common channels

Note. From OE003: Table 1.1, by Rosenfeld Media, 2018, Flickr (https://flickr.com/photos/rosenfeldmedia/40964356894). CC BY 2.0.
 

Rosenfeld Media. (2018, April 24). OE003: Table 1.1 [Image]. Flickr. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://flickr.com/photos/rosenfeldmedia/40964356894


Note: Tables 1 and 2 are blurred to avoid copyright infingement.

Figure

All types of visual displays other than tables are considered figures in APA Style. Common types of figures include line graphs, bar graphs, charts (e.g., flowcharts, pie charts), drawings, maps, plots (e.g., scatterplots), photographs, infographics, and other illustrations.

The source citation consist of the following components:

  1. In text

    (Figure X) or: In Figure X ...
     
  2. Above the figure: number and title

    Figure X

    Figure title
     
  3. Below figure: Note

    Note. From (or: Adapted from) Main title in italics (p. x) by A. Author, publication year, Name of publisher. Copyright year of publication, Name of copyright holder.

    The comment below the table may appear in a smaller font.
     
  4. Reference list entry
  • Figure from a book

(see Figure 1) or: Figure 1 shows the three basic principles ...


Figure 1

Evidence-based practice

Note. From Evidence-informed learning design (p. 3), by M. Neelen and P. A. Kirschner, 2020, Kogan Page. Copyright 2020 by Mirjam Neelen and Paul A. Kirschner.
 

Neelen, M., & Kirschner, P. A. (2020). Evidence-informed learning design: Creating training to improve performance. Kogan Page.

 

  • Figure from a journal article

(see Figure 2) or: Figure 2 shows the overall results ...


Figure 2

Overall results of the systematic search

Note. From “Trauma and gene expression,” by S. R. Pilkay and T. Combs-Orme, 2020, Social Work Research, 44(1), p. 9 (https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svz024). Copyright 2020 by National Association of Social Workers.
 

Pilkay, S. R., & Combs-Orme, T. (2020). Trauma and gene expression: Understanding the connections. Social Work Research, 44(1), 7-20. https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/svz024

 

  • Figure from a webpage

(see Table 3) or: Table 3 shows the common channels ...


Figure 3

Brain

Note. From Brain, by IsaacMao, 2005, Flickr (https://flickr.com/photos/isaacmao/19245594). CC BY 2.0.
 

IsaacMao. (2005, June 14). Brain [Image]. Flickr. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://flickr.com/photos/isaacmao/19245594


Note: Figures 1 and 2 are blurred to avoid copyright infingement.

Image as illustration

In addition to using images (tables, figures, photographs, etc.) as explanatory material for the text, it is also possible to include an image for illustrative purposes only, for example on the front cover of a report. Whether and how this is referred to depends on the origin of the image.
 

  • Own image

If you have created your own photo, painting, drawing or other image, the same rule applies as for the text: it is your own work and no reference is needed, neither in the text nor in the reference list.
 

  • Received image

An image may have been created and given to you by a classmate, family member or colleague. For these images it also applies that no separate reference is included. It is of course permitted to thank the person who gave the image, for instance in the introduction. The logo of the HAN University as well as the logo of your internship institution may also be reproduced without a reference.
 

  • Image from the Internet

If an image is used only as an illustration, please read the conditions for reuse beforehand. If the report is published, for example on the HBO Knowledge Bank, it is regarded as republication of the image. It is important to have the owner's permission. If so, write 'Reproduced with permission'.

If an image is used only as an illustration, there is no reference in the text. No extended reference is placed under the image. Instead, note only:

Author, year or n.d. Copyright year, name copyright holder. (or CC-license or 'In the public domain')


You may also place the reference on the next page by writing 'Cover photo: Author, year, copyright information.
Also provide a reference entry for the webpage.
 

  • Creative Commons license / In the public domain

Because the image is used as an illustration, it is important to check beforehand whether the copyright holder (usually the creator) of the image gives permission for this. Sometimes this is the case if the image has a Creative Commons license, a condition under which the image may be reused.

If the image is not or no longer covered by copyright, write 'In the public domain'.