Creating Figures and Tables APA Style: The Basics

Creating tables and figures requires careful consideration about why, what and to whom the contents are being communicated.

Figures and tables are generally used to communicate detailed and complex information in research manuscripts, not essays or case studies. They usually present the author’s original work in visual forms so that the reader can readily extract meaningful and relevant information. The material in figures and tables should:

be specifically relevant to the thesis
be easily understood
be introduced, explained, and explored in the text of the paper
provide new and essential information to understanding the paper
be presented according to APA guidelines

Consider the following questions when starting and completing work on a figure or table:

What does the display communicate that the text cannot?
Is the display necessary or could it be adequately communicated in text?
What value does the display add to understanding the line of argument?
Is all the information in the display essential and relevant to its communicative purpose?
Does the display follow logically from the text before it?
Is the display located in the relevant section of the paper?
Does the display follow APA Style presentation guidelines for this type of figure or table?
Is the figure or table labeled according to APA guidelines for this type of display?
Have you obtained written permission to include copyright material (reproduced or adapted) and acknowledged the source? (Only for a published work, not a student papers. Cite the source)
Have you acknowledged and referenced relevant sources of the graphical information in the notes below the display?
Have you checked the APA guidelines for using figures and tables?