Writing

Tables and Figures

In the body of your paper, information that does not appear as narrative text must be formatted and labeled as either a table or figure. APA style does not use other terms such as "graph," "illustration," or "chart." Data presented in rows and columns is labeled as a table; all other graphic presentations, whether a graph, chart, photograph, illustration, and such, are labeled as figures.

Tables and figures must fit within the page margin specifications of the document it appears in. Do not separate a title or caption from the table or figure it identifies; they should appear together on the same page.

• If your table or figure in a course paper is not your original creation but is something you copied or adapted from a source, and you have no intention of publishing it, you do not need to get permission to include the table or figure; it is considered fair use.
• See our page Citing Sources for Tables and Figures for guidelines on citing the source you used to create a table or figure; follow the examples in the APA manual and on our website.

For guidance on tables and figures in doctoral capstone studies (dissertations, doctoral studies, and project studies), please visit our Doctoral Capstone Form and Style website's Tables and Figures page.