The purpose of tables in APA are to facilitate understanding. They should not be decorative. Instead, they should be used to clearly and concisely present data that readers will need to understand for your paper. They should include any data that is necessary to provide a sufficient set of the statistics collected in order to support the argument you are making.
Always remember that a table should be supplementing your text, not duplicating it. If you can express the necessary information in your text, then you probably don't need to include a table.
A well-designed table should be understandable on its own. It shouldn't require additional explanation in your text.
Include table directly in your text, as close as possible to where you first refer to the figure in your essay. Unless your teacher tells you to do so, do not place tables in an Appendix.
When using a table, discuss only the highlights of the table in your text. When referencing a table use the Table number that you have assigned to your table in a callout.
Examples:
As shown in Table 1, . . .
or
. . . of the results of the testing (see Table 6).
Follow this basic structure when creating a table:
Table number
| Table Title | ||||
| Stub Heading | Column spanner | Column spanner | ||
| Column Heading | Column Heading | Column Heading | Column Heading | |
| Table Spanner 1 | ||||
| Row 1 | 123a | 456 | 789 | 525 |
| Row 2 | 101 | 112 | 131* | 458 |
| Table Spanner 2 | ||||
| Row 3 | 415 | 161 | 718 | 645 |
| Row 4 | 192 | 021 | 222 | 983 |
Note. This is a general note.
aThis is a specific note
* This is a probability note.
Table number: Number every table in your text, using "Table," followed by that table's number (e.g. 1,2,3,4,5). Do not use Roman numerals or letters to number your tables.
Table title: Provide a short, descriptive title for your table. It should make it easy for readers to identify what the table is about. Use Title Case for your title (capitalize the first letter of every word of the title, except for prepositions and conjunctions), and italicize the title.
Column heading: Headings help describe the content of each column of a table. Every table should have a heading for each column, including a stub heading for the leftmost column (see below for details). Keep your headings for columns clear and brief. Headings should generally not be longer than the width of the column they describe. Write column headings in Sentence case (capitalize the first letter of the first word of the heading and any proper nouns). Do not italicize.
Column spanner: A heading that describes the entries of two or more columns in the table. When using a column spanner, you should also include individual headings for each column. An example of this would be a column spanner of "Women," with individual column headings of "18-25," "26-35," and "36-45." Write column spanners in Sentence case (capitalize the first letter of the first word of the heading and any proper nouns). Do not italicize.
Stub heading: This is the heading for the leftmost column of your table, also called the "stub column." The stub column usually lists the major independent or predictor variables for your table. While it is best to give a short, descriptive heading for your stub column, "Variable" can be used when a more descriptive title is not available. As with other column headings, it should not be longer than the width of the column it describes. Stub headings should be written in Sentence case (capitalize the first letter of the the first word of a heading and any proper nouns). Do not italicize.
Table spanner: This is a heading that spans the entire width of the table body. It labels all of the columns, and allows for divisions of data within a table (e.g. "Wave 1" and "Wave 2"). Table spanners should be written in Sentence case (capitalize the first letter of the first word of the a heading and any proper nouns). Do not italicize.
Stub column: This is the leftmost column of the table. This column often contains information about the major independent or predictor variables that are represented in each row of the table.
Table body: The "body" of a table includes all of the rows and columns of cells containing the primary data of the table. The data being reported MUST be consistent throughout the table. Numbers should be expressed to a consistent number of decimal places and the unit of measurement should remain the same.
Row: A row is a horizontal line of information in a table. All of the numbers that are lined up horizontally with "Row 1" in the above example are part of the same row.
Column: A column is a vertical line of information in a table. All of the numbers that are lined up vertically with a "Column Heading" in the above example are part of the same column.
Cell: A cell is the individual box in a table for a given piece of information. In the above example, "456" is in a single cell of the table.
Tables can have three kinds of notes: general notes, specific notes, and probability notes. All notes are placed immediately after the body of the table.
General notes: These explain, qualify, or provide information about the table as a whole. They also explain any abbreviations, symbols, and special use of italics in the table. They are designated by the word Note, in italics, followed by a period.
example: Note. CI = confidence interval; LL = lower limit, UL = upper limit.
Specific notes: These explain information presented in a specific row, column, or cell of a table. Specific notes are indicated by a superscript lowercase letter (e.g.: a,b,c ) in the row, column, or cell that requires the note, and at the beginning of the note itself. If you have multiple specific notes, order them in the table from left to right and from top to bottom, starting in the top left of the table. Specific notes follow in a separate paragraph below the general note. Subsequent specific notes follow in the same paragraph.
example: aThis participant did not complete the survey. bThis participant ate a pastry while completing the survey.
Probability notes: These are used to indicate relevant p (probability) values for the table. Values should always be reported to two or three decimal places and should be as exact as possible. When it is not possible to express an exact p value, you can use "p <" to represent "probability is less than." Note the probabilities in the appropriate cell(s) of the table with an asterisk (*) or a superscript dagger (†). If you need to distinguish between one-tailed and two-tailed probability values, use the asterisk for the two-tailed values, and the dagger symbol in superscript "†" for the one-tailed values. Probability notes follow in a separate paragraph below the specific notes (or general note, if there are no specific notes). Subsequent probability notes follow in the same paragraph.
example: *p < .05, two-tailed. ** p < .01, two-tailed. †p < .05
According to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition, there are 15 specific types of tables, all of which have their own variations on the basic format (e.g. demographic characteristics of study participants, chi-square results, model comparisons, mixed methods tables, etc.). For specific information on how to format each type of tables, consult section 7.21 of the Publication Manual, pages 207-226, which includes examples of each table type. Copies of the Publication Manual are available on Reserve at the Circulation Desk in the Library.
When considering adding a table to your paper, think about the following:
Figures in APA include graphs, photos, and other images. They should only be used if they add substantive information to your paper that helps add to your readers' understanding. If a figure doesn't add to your paper, or if it duplicates information already presented elsewhere in your paper, then it should not be included. When using figures, you should also ask yourself if a figure is the best way to represent the information in your paper. In some cases, a table may be more precise.
Include figures directly in your text, as close as possible to where you refer to the figure in your essay. Unless your teacher tells you to do so, do not put figures in an Appendix.
When referencing a figure in your text, refer to it by the figure number in a callout.
Examples:
As you can see in Figure 1, . . .
or
. . . which becomes quite clear when comparing the two side-by-side (see Figure 4)
Follow this basic structure when creating a table:
Figure number
Figure Title
Note: This is a general note. It contains information needed to understand the figure, including definitions and abbreviations, and the copyright attribution from a reprinted or adapted figure (see below).
* This is a probability note.
Figure number: This number appears above the figure in bold. It should be in the format of "Figure," followed by the number in Arabic numerals (e.g. Figure 1, Figure 2).
Figure title: The figure title should appear one double-spaced line below the figure number. It should be in Title Case (Capitalize the first letter of the first word and the first letter of all major words of the title, except for words likes "a," "the," and "and."
Figure image: This is the image portion of the the figure (e.g. photo, drawing, chart, graph, etc.). If there is any text in your figure, it should be in a sans serif font (e.g. Arial, Calibri, Helvetica), and between 8 and 14 points in size.
Figure legend: If necessary, include a legend with your figure. A legend explains the symbols used in your figure, and should be placed within the figure itself. It should be in the same font style and size as is used in the rest of the figure. An example of a legend would be a box in a graph that explains what each coloured line in the graph represents. Note: Make sure that all symbols, terminology, and abbreviations in the legend agree with the ones used in the body of your paper.
Figures can have three types of notes: General notes, specific notes, and probability notes. All notes are placed immediately after the body of the table.
General notes: These explain, qualify, or provide information about the table as a whole. They also explain any abbreviations, symbols, and special use of italics in the image. They are designated by the word "Note," in italics, followed by a period.
example: Note. This figure demonstrates creativity scores according to originality, abstractness, and elaboration.
Specific notes: These explain information presented in a specific element of the figure. It is indicated by a superscript lowercase letter (e.g.: a,b,c) beside the specific element, and at the beginning of the note itself. If you have multiple specific notes, order them in the table from left to right and from top to bottom, starting in the top left of the figure image. Specific notes follow in a separate paragraph below the general notes. Subsequent specific notes follow in the same paragraph.
example: aThis participant did not complete the survey.
Probability notes: These are used to indicate relevant p (probability) values for the tables. Values should always be reported to two or three decimal places and should be as exact as possible. When it is not possible to express an exact p value, you can use "p <" to represent "probability is less then." Note the probabilities in the image and in the note with an asterisk (*) or a superscript dagger (†). If you need to distinguish between one-tailed and two-tailed probability values, use the asterisk from the two-tailed values and the superscript dagger for the one-tailed values. Probability notes follow in a separate paragraph below the specific notes (or general note, if the image does not have any specific notes). Subsequen probability notes follow in the same paragraph.
example: *p < .05, two-tailed. ** p < .01, two-tailed. †p < .05
Graphs: These figures display the relationship between two quantitative indices or a continuous quantitative variable (usually expressed on the y, or vertical, axis) and groups of subjects (usually displayed on the x, or horizontal, axis)
Charts: These figures display non-quantitative information, such as the flow of subjects through a process (e.g. flow charts).
Maps: These figures display spatial information (e.g. the map of a country, or the layout of a room).
Drawings: These figures display pictorial representations of information.
Photographs: These figures display direct visual representations of information.
Each type will have many different variations and versions. These are just the broad types.
When adding a figure to a paper, think about the following:
If you are reproducing or adapting a table or figure from another source, you must include an acknowledgement of that source in a general note. The acknowledgement contains similar information as an entry in your list of references, but the formatting is different. Also note that, unless your teacher tells you to do otherwise, sources that you use solely for their tables shouldn't be cited in your list of references. However, if you use material from the same source in the body of your essay, you will need to include it in your list of references.
When reproducing a table or figure from another source, begin the note with "Reprinted from," followed by the publication information. Reproduce it exactly as shown in the original. Do not alter the table or figure in any way.
When adapting a table from another source (e.g. making alterations to the original to illustrate a specifc point related to your work), begin the note with "Adapted from,"
Depending on the type of source you use for your table or figure, the crediting information in your note should look like this:
Journal
Format
Note. Reprinted/Adapted from "Title of Article," by First Initial(s). Last Name, and First Initial(s). Last Name, Year of Publication, Title of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), p. page number. Copyright Year of Publication by Publisher of Journal.
Example
Note. Reprinted from "The Quality of Video Games: Subjective Quality Assessments as Predictors of Self-Reported Presence in First-Person Shooter and Role-Playing Games," by C. Schumann, N. D. Bowman, and D. Schultheiss, 2016, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 60(4), p. 558. Copyright 2016 by Broadcast Education Association.
Book
Format
Note. Reprinted/Adapted from Title of book, by First Initial(s). Last Name, and First Initial(s). Last Name, Year of Publication, p. page number. Copyright Year of Publication by Publisher of Book.
Example
Note. Adapted from Social psychology, by S. Kassin, S. Fein, H. R. Markus, and T. M. Burke, 2013, p. 243. Copyright 2013 by Nelson Education.
Website
Format
Note. Reprinted/Adapted from "Title of web page," by First Initial(s). Last Name, and First Initial(s). Last Name, Year of Publication, Title of website. Copyright Year of Publication by Publisher of Website.
Example
Note. Reprinted from "India's Taj Mahal is Turning Green," by K. Lagrave, 2016, Architectural Digest. Copyright 2016 by Condé Nast.
Note: When using an image or other figure that was found on Google Image Search or a similar search engine, credit the original website where the image appeared, NOT Google Search. The search engine is not the source of the image. It is only pointing you toward the real source.
Sometimes, you may want to create a new table that reproduces and compares data from several other published studies. In these cases, you have two options.
Option A - Summary Tables
Summary tables compare results of several studies. Normally, with this type of table, you devote an entire row to each study being compared in the table. in the first column of the table, name the study results being reproduced in each row. To do so, use the last name of the author(s) and the year for the source, just like an in-text citation. Finally, include a full citation for the source in your List of References.
Example:
Table 1
| Comparing Studies | |||
| Heading | |||
| Study | N | X | Y |
| Atashin (2013) | 123 | 456 | 789 |
| Dumile & Jackson (2015) | 101 | 112 | 131 |
Option B - Using Specific Notes
You may sometimes may not want to devote an entire row to a single study, as in a summary table. In these cases, you can include data from another study in a single cell of a table, as long as you include a specific note indicating the source of that data. As explained above, you indicate a specific note with a superscript lowercase letter after the data in the cell (e.g.: a,b,c). Then, at the bottom of the table, include the same superscript lowercase letter, followed by a standard in-text citation for the source. Finally, include a full citation for the source in your List of References.
Example:
| Comparing Studies | |||
| Heading | |||
| Subject | N | X | Y |
| 1 | 123 | 456a | 789 |
| 2 | 101 | 112 | 131 |
aAtashin (2013).
When reproducing a figure from a source that you are also citing in the body of your paper, you must both note it in the general note for the figure as well as providing a full reference for the source in your List of references.
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