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Citing Tables and Figures in APA Style | Format & Examples

Published on November 6, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 27, 2023.

When you reprint or adapt a table or figure from another source, the source should be acknowledged in an in-text citation and in your reference list . Follow the format for the source type you took the table or figure from.

You also have to include a copyright statement in a note beneath the table or figure. The example below shows how to cite a figure from a journal article .

Table of contents

Citing tables and figures, including a copyright note, examples from different source types, frequently asked questions about apa style citations.

Tables and figures taken from other sources are numbered and presented in the same format as your other tables and figures . Refer to them as Table 1, Figure 3, etc., but include an in-text citation after you mention them to acknowledge the source.

You should also include the source in the reference list. Follow the standard format for the source type you took the table or figure from.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

As well as a citation and reference, when you reproduce a table or figure in your own work, you also need to acknowledge the source in a note directly below it.

The image below shows an example of a table with a copyright note.

If you’ve reproduced a table or figure exactly, start the note with “From …” If you’ve adapted it in some way for your own purposes (e.g. incorporating part of a table or figure into a new table or figure in your paper), write “Adapted from …”

This is followed by information about the source (title, author, year, publisher, and location), and then copyright information at the end.

Types of copyright and permission

A source will either be under standard copyright, under a Creative Commons license, or in the public domain. You need to state which of these is the case.

Under standard copyright, you sometimes also need permission from the publisher to reprint or adapt materials. If you sought and obtained permission, mention this at the end of the note.

Look for information on copyright and permissions from the publisher. If you’re having trouble finding this information, consult your supervisor for advice.

• From a journal article
• From a website
• From a book

Copyright information can usually be found wherever the table or figure was published. For example, for a diagram in a journal article , look on the journal’s website or the database where you found the article. Images found on sites like Flickr are listed with clear copyright information.

If you find that permission is required to reproduce the material, be sure to contact the author or publisher and ask for it.

APA doesn’t require you to include a list of tables or a list of figures . However, it is advisable to do so if your text is long enough to feature a table of contents and it includes a lot of tables and/or figures .

A list of tables and list of figures appear (in that order) after your table of contents, and are presented in a similar way.

If you adapt or reproduce a table or figure from another source, you should include that source in your APA reference list . You should also include copyright information in the note for the table or figure, and include an APA in-text citation when you refer to it.

Tables and figures you created yourself, based on your own data, are not included in the reference list.

In most styles, the title page is used purely to provide information and doesn’t include any images. Ask your supervisor if you are allowed to include an image on the title page before doing so. If you do decide to include one, make sure to check whether you need permission from the creator of the image.

Include a note directly beneath the image acknowledging where it comes from, beginning with the word “ Note .” (italicized and followed by a period). Include a citation and copyright attribution . Don’t title, number, or label the image as a figure , since it doesn’t appear in your main text.

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Tables and Figures

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resources for the older APA 6 style  can be found at this page  as well as at this page (our old resources covered the material on this page on two separate pages).

The purpose of tables and figures in documents is to enhance your readers' understanding of the information in the document; usually, large amounts of information can be communicated more efficiently in tables or figures. Tables are any graphic that uses a row and column structure to organize information, whereas figures include any illustration or image other than a table.

General guidelines

Visual material such as tables and figures can be used quickly and efficiently to present a large amount of information to an audience, but visuals must be used to assist communication, not to use up space, or disguise marginally significant results behind a screen of complicated statistics. Ask yourself this question first: Is the table or figure necessary? For example, it is better to present simple descriptive statistics in the text, not in a table.

Relation of Tables or Figures and Text

Because tables and figures supplement the text, refer in the text to all tables and figures used and explain what the reader should look for when using the table or figure. Focus only on the important point the reader should draw from them, and leave the details for the reader to examine on their own.

Documentation

If you are using figures, tables and/or data from other sources, be sure to gather all the information you will need to properly document your sources.

Integrity and Independence

Each table and figure must be intelligible without reference to the text, so be sure to include an explanation of every abbreviation (except the standard statistical symbols and abbreviations).

Organization, Consistency, and Coherence

Number all tables sequentially as you refer to them in the text (Table 1, Table 2, etc.), likewise for figures (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.). Abbreviations, terminology, and probability level values must be consistent across tables and figures in the same article. Likewise, formats, titles, and headings must be consistent. Do not repeat the same data in different tables.

Data in a table that would require only two or fewer columns and rows should be presented in the text. More complex data is better presented in tabular format. In order for quantitative data to be presented clearly and efficiently, it must be arranged logically, e.g. data to be compared must be presented next to one another (before/after, young/old, male/female, etc.), and statistical information (means, standard deviations, N values) must be presented in separate parts of the table. If possible, use canonical forms (such as ANOVA, regression, or correlation) to communicate your data effectively.

A generic example of a table with multiple notes formatted in APA 7 style.

Elements of Tables

Number all tables with Arabic numerals sequentially. Do not use suffix letters (e.g. Table 3a, 3b, 3c); instead, combine the related tables. If the manuscript includes an appendix with tables, identify them with capital letters and Arabic numerals (e.g. Table A1, Table B2).

Like the title of the paper itself, each table must have a clear and concise title. Titles should be written in italicized title case below the table number, with a blank line between the number and the title. When appropriate, you may use the title to explain an abbreviation parenthetically.

Comparison of Median Income of Adopted Children (AC) v. Foster Children (FC)

Keep headings clear and brief. The heading should not be much wider than the widest entry in the column. Use of standard abbreviations can aid in achieving that goal. There are several types of headings:

• Stub headings describe the lefthand column, or stub column , which usually lists major independent variables.
• Column headings describe entries below them, applying to just one column.
• Column spanners are headings that describe entries below them, applying to two or more columns which each have their own column heading. Column spanners are often stacked on top of column headings and together are called decked heads .
• Table Spanners cover the entire width of the table, allowing for more divisions or combining tables with identical column headings. They are the only type of heading that may be plural.

All columns must have headings, written in sentence case and using singular language (Item rather than Items) unless referring to a group (Men, Women). Each column’s items should be parallel (i.e., every item in a column labeled “%” should be a percentage and does not require the % symbol, since it’s already indicated in the heading). Subsections within the stub column can be shown by indenting headings rather than creating new columns:

Chemical Bonds

     Ionic

     Covalent

     Metallic

The body is the main part of the table, which includes all the reported information organized in cells (intersections of rows and columns). Entries should be center aligned unless left aligning them would make them easier to read (longer entries, usually). Word entries in the body should use sentence case. Leave cells blank if the element is not applicable or if data were not obtained; use a dash in cells and a general note if it is necessary to explain why cells are blank.   In reporting the data, consistency is key: Numerals should be expressed to a consistent number of decimal places that is determined by the precision of measurement. Never change the unit of measurement or the number of decimal places in the same column.

There are three types of notes for tables: general, specific, and probability notes. All of them must be placed below the table in that order.

General  notes explain, qualify or provide information about the table as a whole. Put explanations of abbreviations, symbols, etc. here.

Example:  Note . The racial categories used by the US Census (African-American, Asian American, Latinos/-as, Native-American, and Pacific Islander) have been collapsed into the category “non-White.” E = excludes respondents who self-identified as “White” and at least one other “non-White” race.

Specific  notes explain, qualify or provide information about a particular column, row, or individual entry. To indicate specific notes, use superscript lowercase letters (e.g.  a ,  b ,  c ), and order the superscripts from left to right, top to bottom. Each table’s first footnote must be the superscript  a .

a  n = 823.  b  One participant in this group was diagnosed with schizophrenia during the survey.

Probability  notes provide the reader with the results of the tests for statistical significance. Asterisks indicate the values for which the null hypothesis is rejected, with the probability ( p value) specified in the probability note. Such notes are required only when relevant to the data in the table. Consistently use the same number of asterisks for a given alpha level throughout your paper.

* p < .05. ** p < .01. *** p < .001

If you need to distinguish between two-tailed and one-tailed tests in the same table, use asterisks for two-tailed p values and an alternate symbol (such as daggers) for one-tailed p values.

* p < .05, two-tailed. ** p < .01, two-tailed. † p <.05, one-tailed. †† p < .01, one-tailed.

Borders 

Tables should only include borders and lines that are needed for clarity (i.e., between elements of a decked head, above column spanners, separating total rows, etc.). Do not use vertical borders, and do not use borders around each cell. Spacing and strict alignment is typically enough to clarify relationships between elements.

Example of a table in the text of an APA 7 paper. Note the lack of vertical borders.

Tables from Other Sources

If using tables from an external source, copy the structure of the original exactly, and cite the source in accordance with  APA style .

Table Checklist

(Taken from the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 7th ed., Section 7.20)

• Is the table necessary?
• Does it belong in the print and electronic versions of the article, or can it go in an online supplemental file?
• Are all comparable tables presented consistently?
• Are all tables numbered with Arabic numerals in the order they are mentioned in the text? Is the table number bold and left-aligned?
• Are all tables referred to in the text?
• Is the title brief but explanatory? Is it presented in italicized title case and left-aligned?
• Does every column have a column heading? Are column headings centered?
• Are all abbreviations; special use of italics, parentheses, and dashes; and special symbols explained?
• Are the notes organized according to the convention of general, specific, probability?
• Are table borders correctly used (top and bottom of table, beneath column headings, above table spanners)?
• Does the table use correct line spacing (double for the table number, title, and notes; single, one and a half, or double for the body)?
• Are entries in the left column left-aligned beneath the centered stub heading? Are all other column headings and cell entries centered?
• Are confidence intervals reported for all major point estimates?
• Are all probability level values correctly identified, and are asterisks attached to the appropriate table entries? Is a probability level assigned the same number of asterisks in all the tables in the same document?
• If the table or its data are from another source, is the source properly cited? Is permission necessary to reproduce the table?

Figures include all graphical displays of information that are not tables. Common types include graphs, charts, drawings, maps, plots, and photos. Just like tables, figures should supplement the text and should be both understandable on their own and referenced fully in the text. This section details elements of formatting writers must use when including a figure in an APA document, gives an example of a figure formatted in APA style, and includes a checklist for formatting figures.

Preparing Figures

In preparing figures, communication and readability must be the ultimate criteria. Avoid the temptation to use the special effects available in most advanced software packages. While three-dimensional effects, shading, and layered text may look interesting to the author, overuse, inconsistent use, and misuse may distort the data, and distract or even annoy readers. Design properly done is inconspicuous, almost invisible, because it supports communication. Design improperly, or amateurishly, done draws the reader’s attention from the data, and makes him or her question the author’s credibility. Line drawings are usually a good option for readability and simplicity; for photographs, high contrast between background and focal point is important, as well as cropping out extraneous detail to help the reader focus on the important aspects of the photo.

Parts of a Figure

All figures that are part of the main text require a number using Arabic numerals (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.). Numbers are assigned based on the order in which figures appear in the text and are bolded and left aligned.

Under the number, write the title of the figure in italicized title case. The title should be brief, clear, and explanatory, and both the title and number should be double spaced.

The image of the figure is the body, and it is positioned underneath the number and title. The image should be legible in both size and resolution; fonts should be sans serif, consistently sized, and between 8-14 pt. Title case should be used for axis labels and other headings; descriptions within figures should be in sentence case. Shading and color should be limited for clarity; use patterns along with color and check contrast between colors with free online checkers to ensure all users (people with color vision deficiencies or readers printing in grayscale, for instance) can access the content. Gridlines and 3-D effects should be avoided unless they are necessary for clarity or essential content information.

Legends, or keys, explain symbols, styles, patterns, shading, or colors in the image. Words in the legend should be in title case; legends should go within or underneath the image rather than to the side. Not all figures will require a legend.

Notes clarify the content of the figure; like tables, notes can be general, specific, or probability. General notes explain units of measurement, symbols, and abbreviations, or provide citation information. Specific notes identify specific elements using superscripts; probability notes explain statistical significance of certain values.

A generic example of a figure formatted in APA 7 style.

Figure Checklist 

(Taken from the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 7 th ed., Section 7.35)

• Is the figure necessary?
• Does the figure belong in the print and electronic versions of the article, or is it supplemental?
• Is the figure simple, clean, and free of extraneous detail?
• Is the figure title descriptive of the content of the figure? Is it written in italic title case and left aligned?
• Are all elements of the figure clearly labeled?
• Are the magnitude, scale, and direction of grid elements clearly labeled?
• Are parallel figures or equally important figures prepared according to the same scale?
• Are the figures numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals? Is the figure number bold and left aligned?
• Has the figure been formatted properly? Is the font sans serif in the image portion of the figure and between sizes 8 and 14?
• Are all abbreviations and special symbols explained?
• If the figure has a legend, does it appear within or below the image? Are the legend’s words written in title case?
• Are the figure notes in general, specific, and probability order? Are they double-spaced, left aligned, and in the same font as the paper?
• Are all figures mentioned in the text?
• Has written permission for print and electronic reuse been obtained? Is proper credit given in the figure caption?
• Have all substantive modifications to photographic images been disclosed?
• Are the figures being submitted in a file format acceptable to the publisher?
• Have the files been produced at a sufficiently high resolution to allow for accurate reproduction?

• Library Catalogue

Citing tables, figures & images: APA (7th ed.) citation guide

On this page, introduction, general guidelines, examples for citing figures & images, examples for citing tables.

This guide is based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed. It provides selected citation examples for common types of sources. For more detailed information consult directly a  print copy  of the style manual.

Check out APA's Guide to what's new for APA 7 .

Keep track of your document references/citations and format your reference lists easily with Citation management software .

Tables and figures (includes images) follow similar set up and formatting. The guidelines below focus on common examples used by students for academic papers . For details on creating tables or figures for submission to journals or graduate theses, see APA's Tables and figures or consult the guide directly (Section 7, pp. 195–250).

Wondering if you can use that image you found online? Refer to SFU's Copyright and your coursework or the FAQ What is fair dealing? for guidelines on use.

• All figures and tables must be mentioned in the text (a "callout") by their number. Do not refer to the table/figure using either "the table above" or "the figure below."
• Assign table/figure # in the order as it appears, numbered consecutively, in your paper - not the figure # assigned to it in its original resource.
• A note is added when further description, for example, definitions or copyright attribution, is necessary to explain the figure or table. Most student papers will require a general note for copyright attribution and acknowledgement whether it is reprinted or adapted from another source. Consult the guide directly for detailed instructions on formatting notes (Section 7.14, pp. 203–205).
• For copyright attribution templates , consult Table 12.1 on page 390 of the guide (Section 12.18, pp. 389-390).
• If permission is required for reprinting or adapting, at the end of the citation place: Reprinted with permission or  Adapted with permission followed by a period.
• All the sources must have a full bibliographic entry in your Reference List .
• Review your figure/table against the appropriate checklist found only in the guide (Sections 7.20, Table, p. 206 and 7.35, Figure, p. 232).

Order of components

Above the figure/table.

• Write " Figure " or " Table " in bold font, flush left, followed by the number, for example, Figure 1 .
• Write the figure/table title using italic case below the figure/table number,
• Double-space the figure/table number and title,
• Embed image.

Below the figure/table

• On a new line below the figure/table, flush left, place Note. Provide further details/explanation about the information in the figure/table only if necessary. State if material is reprinted or adapted —use " From " if reprinted or " Adapted from " if adapted. Followed directly by the copyright attribution —this is basically the same information as found in the reference list entry but in a different order.
• Separate figure/table from the text with one blank double-spaced line.

Placement in paper

• embed in the text after it is first mentioned or,
• place on a separate page after the reference list (an appendix).
• When embedding all figures and tables are aligned with the left margin .
• All examples in this guide show embedded figures and tables.

Refer directly to the guide for more detailed notes on placement (Section 7.6, p. 198).

Figures include: images found online, maps , graphs , charts, drawings, and photographs, or any other illustration or non-textual depiction in printed or electronic resources.

See APA's Figure set up for detailed information on the basic components of a figure, principles of creation, and placement in papers with formatting requirements, or consult the guide directly (Section 7.22–7.36, pp. 225–250).

Review APA's guide for Accessible use of colour in table/figures for best practices.

Exact copy from a single source (aka reprinted)

The following example is when it is reproduced in your paper exactly as it appears in another source : Same format or state, no reconfiguration or new analysis.

Compiled from variety of sources

The following example is for citing a figure that you have created by compiling information from a variety of sources. For example, if you combined data from a database, a website , and a government report to create a new chart. Each source requires a copyright attribution in a general note and full bibliographic entry in the Reference List.

See APA's Clip art or stock image references ,  Image with no attribution required ,  Image requires an attribution , or consult the guide directly (Section 12.14–12.18, pp. 384–390 ).

Citing but not reproducing the image? See Visual: Artwork in museum, PowerPoint slides, photographs, clipart/stock image, maps retrieved online in this guide for examples or consult the guide directly (Section 10.14, pp. 346–347).

Image with attribution

Reference list examples

Beletsky, Y. (2013).  Three planets dance over La Silla [Photograph]. European Southern Observatory. https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1322a/

Euromonitor International. (2020). [Statistical data on market sizes of fresh food]. Passport . Retrieved January 21, 2021, from https://go.euromonitor.com/passport.html

FranceAgriMer. (2020, September). Consommation des produits carnes en 2019 . https://www.franceagrimer.fr/content/download/64994/document/STA-VIA-Consommation%20des%20produits%20carn%C3%A9s%20en%202019.pdf

Natural Resources Institute Finland. (2020). Consumption of food commodities per capita by year and commodity [Statistics database]. http://statdb.luke.fi/PXWeb/sq/d1b368d7-9c07-4efd-b727-13e57db90ee6

Okemasim–Sicotte, D. R., Gingell, S., & Bouvier, R. (2018). Iskwewuk E–wichiwitochik. In K. Anderson, M. Campbell, & C. Belcourt (Eds.), Keetsahnak /Our missing and murdered Indigenous sisters (pp. 243–269). University of Alberta Press.

Irish, J. (2019).  Sequoia National Park.  [Photograph]. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/61-national-parks-photos/#/giant-tree-trail-sequoia-national-park.jpg

Drewes, W. (n.d.).  Frog and insects (no.200) . [Painting]. The Smithsonian Institution. https://www.si.edu/object/saam_1968.9.50

• See the General Notes in this guide for help with creating citations with missing information , e.g. using a description if no title—see Euromonitor International in the reference list above.
• For figures compiled from multiple sources, identify individual source information using the following format in the "From" statement: Note . The data for Country Name are from [copyright attribution according to source]. End each copyright attribution with a period.
• Use author-date in-text citation when the data is transformed (reconfigured or reanalyzed) to produce different numbers. (Section 12.15 Data subsection, p. 385).
• If work is published or read online, use live links—check with your instructor for their preference.

Tables are characterized by a row-column structure. See APA's Table set up for detailed information on the basic components of a table, principles of creation, and placement in papers with formatting requirements, or consult the guide directly (Section 7.8–7.21, pp. 199–224).

Exact copy from a single source (aka reprint)

If you have compiled data from a variety of different sources and put it together to form your own table, you still need to cite where you got the information from. Each source requires a copyright attribution in a general note and full bibliographic entry in the Reference List.

British Columbia Ministry of Health. (2019). Baby’s most chosen names in British Columbia, 2019 . https://connect.health.gov.bc.ca/babynames?year=2019

eHealth Saskatchewan. (2019). Most popular baby names for 2019 . https://www.ehealthsask.ca/health-data/babynames/Pages/mostpopular2019.aspx

Government of Alberta. (2019). Alberta’s top baby names . https://www.alberta.ca/top-baby-names.aspx

Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency . (2020). Annual report 2019-2020 . https://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/pdf/2020_vs_annual_report_en.pdf

Williams, C. L. (1992). The glass escalator: Hidden advantages for men in the "female" professions. Social Problems , 39 (3), 253-267. https://doi.org/10.2307/3096961

• For tables compiled from multiple sources, in the "From" statement, identify each individual source information. e.g.: Note . The data for Country Name are from [copyright attribution according to source]. End each copyright attribution with a period.
• ​If you have multiple kinds of data (population figures, consumer information, etc...) in one table you would describe each set of data. e.g.: Note.  Population figures for XYZ are from [ copyright attribution according to source ] and for ABC are from [ copyright attribution according to source ]. Data for pet ownership for XYZ are from [ copyright attribution according to source ] and for ABC are from [ copyright attribution according to source ]. End each copyright attribution with a period.
• Use an author-date in-text citation when the data is transformed (reconfigured or reanalyzed) to produce different numbers. (Section 12.15 Data subsection, p. 385).
• All the sources must have a full bibliographic entry in your Reference List even though the information in the Note  field uses a lot of the same information.
• If work is published or read online, APA recommends using live links— check with your instructor for their preference.

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APA Citation Guide (7th Edition): Figures and Tables

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General Rules

Figures and tables enable authors to present a large amount of information efficiently and to make their data more understandable.

• There are two options for the placement of figures   and tables in a paper. The first option is to place all figures/tables on separate pages after the reference list. The second option is to embed each figure/table within the text.
• As shown in Figure 1 ....
• ... the results of the experiment (see Table 1).
• Each figure and table needs to be numbered in the order in which they appear in the document, e.g., Table 1, Table 2.
• Figures and tables may not have a set title . If this is the case, give a description of the figure or table where you would normally put the title.

Figures and Tables are covered in Chapter 7 of the APA Publication Manual , Seventh Edition.

Copyright Issues

Reproducing figures & tables.

Reproducing happens when you copy or recreate a figure or table that is not your original creation. If you reproduce one of these works in your assignment, you must create a note underneath the figure or table to show where you found it. You do not include this information in a Reference list.

How to Determine Usage Rights on Google

If you are searching for images on Google, after your search, click the Images tab > Tools > Usage Rights > Creative Commons Licenses

For more information on copyright, please visit our guide Copyright 101 .

Figures Defined

Any type of illustration or image other than a table is referred to as a figure. A figure may be a chart, a graph, a photograph, a drawing, an infographic, etc.

Figure Components

• Number:  The figure number (e.g., Figure 1) appears above the figure in bold font.
• Title:  The figure title appears below the figure number in italic title case. There should be one double-spaced line between the figure number and the figure title.
• Image:  The image part of the figure is the photograph, chart , graph, drawing, illustration, etc.
• Legend:  The figure legend, if present, explains any symbols used in the figure image.
• Note:  There are three types of figure notes: general, specific, and probability. They appear below the figure and explain parts of the figure that cannot be explained from the figure title, image, or legend. For example, figure notes can be definitions of abbreviations, copyright attributions, etc. A figure may not require notes.

Figure Examples

The American Psychological Association created a helpful website called APA Style. On this website, there are several figure samples which illustrate how to set up figures in APA Style.

Tables Defined

Tables are visual displays composed of columns and rows in which numbers, text, or a combination of numbers and text are presented.

Table Components

• Number : The table number (e.g., Table 1) appears above the table title in bold font. 
• Title : The table title appears below the table number in italic title case. There should be one double-spaced line between the table number and the table title.
• Headings : All tables should include column headings, including a stub heading (heading for the leftmost, or stub, column). Center column headings and capitalize them in sentence case.
• Body : The table body includes the rows and columns of a table. It may be single, 1.5, or double-spaced.
• Note : There are three types of table notes: general, specific, and probability. Table notes appear below the table as needed to describe table content that can't be understood from the title, table body, or legend. Not all tables include notes.

Table Examples

The American Psychological Association created a helpful website called APA Style. On this website, there are table samples which illustrate how to set up tables in APA Style.

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General Guidelines

From a book, from an article, from a library database, from a website, citing your own table.

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Tables usually show numerical values or text, in columns and rows

• Anything other than a table is a Figure  

Table  Components:

• Number:  The table number (e.g. Table 1 ) appears above the table in bold (no italics, no period ending)
• Title : The table title appears one double-spaced line below the table number, using non-bolded  Italic Title Case   (no period ending)
• Headings : All tables should include column headings, including  a heading for the leftmost column (stub heading)
• Body:  The table body includes all the rows and columns of a table.  The body may be single space, one and a half spaced, or double spaced, which ever is clearer. Limit the use of borders or lines in a table to those needed for clarity. Do not use vertical borders to separate data (see APA Manual, s. 7.17, pp. 205-206 for more details)
• Note:  A note can appear below the table to describe the contents of the table  that cannot be understood from the table title or body alone, (e.g. definitions of abbreviations, copyright attribution). Notes are double-spaced and flush left. Not all tables include table notes

General rules:

• In the text, refer to every table by its number. For example, "As shown in Table 1, ..." (no italics, capital "T" for "Table")
• There are two options for the placement of tables in a paper. The first option is to place all tables on separate pages after the reference list. The second option is to embed each table within the text
• If you reprint or adapt a table from another source in your paper (e.g. a table from a published work), you must include a copyright attribution in the table note indicating the origin of the reprinted or adapted material in addition to a reference list entry for the work
• Important notes:  When reproducing or adapting copyrighted tables/data sets in your thesis or dissertation or other publications - you must get permission from the copyright holder/s for using the material in your thesis or dissertation or other publications. You may not need permission when a reprinted or adapted figure is obtained from the public domain. Works used  Creative Commons licences  should be cited accordingly. 

Check  the APA Style website for an illustration of the basic table  component and placement of tables in a text

More information & examples from the  APA Style Manual ,   s. 7.8-7.21, pp. 199–224 224) 

Table reproduced in your text

Note format - for notes below the table

If copyright permission was required (eg. reproduced in a thesis/dissertation/exegeses), the note would instead read:

In-text citation:, table referred to, but not reproduced in text.

If you simply refer to a table, format the in-text citation and the reference list entry as for books

Reference list:

Table reproduced in the text, example: .

The Ratio of the Value of Newly Acquired Loans to Acquisition Target

Note. Reprinted from “When Salespeople Manage Customer

Relationships: Multidimensional Incentives and Private Information,”

by M. Kim, K. Sudhir, K. Uetake, and  R. Caneles, 2019, Journal of

Marketing, 56 (5), p. 765. Copyright 2019 by the American Marketing Association.

Table referred to but not reproduced or included in the text

If you simply refer to a table, format the in-text citation and the reference list entry as for articles.

Table reproduced in your text

Note format - below the table

Percentage of Men and Women Who Have Bought Fruit and Vegetable Products in the Last Four Weeks

Note.  wc = weighted count, shown in thousands; v% =vertical percentage,

showing which % of the column group also belongs to the row group;

h% = horizontal percentage.  Roy Morgan  Single Source

New Zealand. Copyright 2015 by Roy Morgan Single Source New Zealand. 

Table referred to but not reproduced in the text

Note format - for notes below the table.

Percentage of New Zealand Population Who Have Never Worked by Age Group.

June 2016 quarter

Note . Adapted from http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/income-and-work/employment_

and_unemployment/people-never-worked.aspx. Copyright 2016 by Statistics New Zealand. 

Use the reference style for websites

If you refer to a table but don’t provide a copy of it in your assessment, simply give an in-text citation as for websites.

If your table has been included in a formally published work reference the work. 

If your table is available on a website reference the webpage (see examples in the webpage section ).

For your own tables in an assignment:

• Include a title
• Add a note explaining the content
• You can, if you wish, add a statement that it is your own work.
• You do not need to add an in-text citation or add it to your reference list.

An example of a table (not real data):

Data from a survey of engineering students and staff

Note. Data collected by author on the 26th of October 2022.

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APA (7th ed.) Citation Style Guide: Tables and Figures

• Paper Format Guidelines
• Four Elements of a Reference
• Missing Reference Information
• In-Text Citations
• Secondary Sources
• Tables and Figures
• Book Sections (Chapters)
• Reference Works
• Business Sources
• Audiovisual Material
• Social Media & Software
• Government Documents
• Open Textbooks
• Course Related Material
• Personal Communications
• Further Examples
• Legal Citation
• Nursing Resources

Useful Links

• APA Style - Table Setup
• Purdue OWL - Tables and Figures
• West Coast University -APA 7th: Tables & Figures
• APA Style - Tables and Figures

Citing Tables and Figures in the Text

If you use a table or figure from another source, then you must acknowledge this original source in a note placed underneath the table or figure within the text of your paper. 

Include the word  Note . before your citation.  

The format for citations placed underneath tables and figures is different to those used for the reference list.

Note . Adapted from “Sampling and recruitment in studies of cultural influences on adjustment: A case study with Mexican Americans,” by M.W.  Roosa , F.F. Liu, M. Torres, N.A. Gonzales, G.P. Knight, and D.  Saenz , 2008,  Journal of Family Psychology , 22, p. 300. 

" In the text, refer to every table and figure by its number - known as a callout. ..When you call out a table or figure, also tell readers what to look for in that table or figure.

As shown in Table 1, the demographic characteristics...

Figure 2 shows that the event-related potentials ...

...of the results of the testing (see Table 3).

...of the comparisons (see Figures 4 and 7).

Do not write "the table above" (or "below") or "the figure on page 32. Page numbers often shift during the writing process, which can lead to errors"  Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed., 2020, p. 197).

APA Style - Table Example

The example below is how to create your own table in an APA format paper or assignment. 

Tables usually show numerical values or textual information arranged in columns or rows.

Table Components

Number:  The table number goes above the table in bold . (e.g. Table 1)

Title: The table title goes one double-spaced line below the table number in italics in title case. (In title case the first letter of major words are capitalized). 

Headings: All tables should include column headings including a heading for the left most column (aka stub heading).

Body: The table body includes all the rows and columns of a table. The body can be single spaced, one-and-a-half spaced, or double spaced.

Notes: Notes describing the contents of the table appear below the table. Not all table include table notes. Notes are double-spaced and flush left.

For further information on figures please refer to pages 199-224   of the  Publication manual of the American Psychological Association , 7th ed., 2020.

What are Figures

APA considers figures "all types of graphical displays other than tables." This includes photographs, drawings, charts, graphs, or any other illustration or non-textual portrayal of information.

Figure Components

Number: The figure number goes above the figure in bold (e.g. Figure 1)

Title: The figure title appears one double-spaced line below the figure number in italics in title case . In title case the first letter of major words are capitalized.

Image: The image part of the figure is the chart, graph, photograph, drawing or other illustration itself

Legend:   The figure legend (also know as a key), if used, should be positioned within the borders of the figure and explain any symbols used in the figure image.

Note : figure notes can appear below the figure to explain, describe, clarify or supplement information in the image. Not all figures include notes.  Notes are double-spaced and flush left.

For further information on figures please refer to pages 225 - 250 of the  Publication manual of the American Psychological Association , 7th ed., 2020.

APA Style - Figure Example

The example below is how to create your own figure in an APA format paper or assignment. 

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