Invention - Use APA Format for Tables and Figures
Exact formatting is hard to describe - while you read this, look at the example file in Shared Materials folder (“Style - using figures and tables.docx”)
APA rules for Tables and Figures
- Always refer to ANY figure/table at least once in the text
- (“As Figure 1 shows”, “As Table 3 indicates”)
- See [[Style - describe figures and tables]]
- Don’t forget units (kg,m,s)
- Explain any abbreviations in a note BELOW the item. Start the note with “Note.” I should be able to understand your table/figure without reading the article
- Don’t use titles built into Excel/Word graphs. Delete that and add your own typed title.
- Make sure your title, figure, notes are all on the same page.
APA rules for For Figures
- Give the title BELOW
- Title should stand alone,
- Include the raw data in an appendix if you can
- Use the right type of chart/graph
- Pie charts = 100% of something
- Graphs = change over time
- Bar charts = comparing amounts
- Label axes (Number of students passing)
- Don’t distort the scale
- x axis is for independent variable
- Use totals, not percentages
APA rules for tables
- Give the Table number (“Table 1”)
- On the next line, give the title in italics
- Next, give the table. Give the title ABOVE tables (opposite for figures)
- Title should stand alone, so you need to mention both the X and Y axis (“Increase in Y between time X1 and X2”)
- Don’t let the table split across pages, or get separated from its title.
- only horizontal lines, and only for headers and bottom
- no vertical lines in APA style
- Leave a blank line between the table and the rest of the text.
- Leave a blank line between the table number and the table.
- Centre align the numbers and column headers inside their columns
- Left align the first column, which contains the row headers For figures (graphs/charts/maps/photos/diagrams)
- Give the title below “Figure 3: % AWL words by genre”
- Make sure it looks good in Black and White.
Cite Figures from another source
- “Adapted”: you changed it
- “Reprinted from”: it’s copy-pasted
- Write something like this this (Fiugure number, title, and source APA)
- Figure 3: Change in forest cover by year. Adapted from Smith (1999)
- Figure 3: Change in forest cover by year. Reprinted from from Smith (1999)
- ALSO: give the APA reference of the work (Smith, 1999) in the References section
Cite Tables from another source
- “Adapted”: you changed it
- “Reprinted from”: it’s copy-pasted
- Give the citation in a note under the table
- Do NOT put it in your references section - give the reference here in caption style:
- give only one page number
- Copyright is probably publisher or license (Ingenta, Oxford, Cambridge, a university name, Creative Commons BY-SA)
- Templates and Examples
- Journal
- Note. Adapted from “Title of Article,” by A. B. Author and C. D. Author, year, Title of Journal, volume, p. xx. Copyright year by the Name of Copyright Holder. Adapted with permission.
- Note. Reprinted from “Impact of Chocolate on Homework,” by M. M. Cadbury and F. F. Meiji, 2001, Nutritional Psychology, 46, p. 387. Copyright 2001 by the Chocolate Publishing Foundation. Adapted with permission.
- Book
- Note. Reprinted from Title of Book (page number), by A. B. Author and C. D Author, year, City: Publisher. Copyright 1999 by the Name of Copyright Holder.
- Note. Adapted from Impact of Chocolate on Homework ())p. 7) by M. M. Cadbury and F. F. Meiji, 2001, Oxford: OUP. Copyright 2001 by the Chocolate Publishing Foundation. Adapted with permission.
- Website
- Note. Reprinted from “Title of Webpage”, by A. B. Author and C.D. Author, 1999. Retrieved from http://www.websitename.com/webpage.html. Copyright 1999 by the Name of Website, or give the creative commons license type.
- Note. Reprinted from “Impact of Chocolate on Homework” by M. M. Cadbury and F. F. Meiji, 2001. Retrieved from http://fakewebsite.com Copyright 2001 by Fake Website Name in Title Case.
- Journal