In APA Style, figures include any material added as visual supplements to an essay. This typically means elements like charts, graphs, maps, artwork, or photographs.
(NB: Tables are considered separate from figures and have their own rules—albeit very similar ones. A thorough overview of formatting tables can be found on the APA’s website.)
There are a few things to consider before incorporating a figure into your essay:
- Is this figure necessary? Figures should convey information that would otherwise be cumbersome to get across to readers. They should not be strictly decorative.
- Is this figure visually clear? Your figure should be clear in the sense that it’s easy to read—sized correctly, sharp, not shrunken or squished.
- Is this figure properly labeled? Your figure should also clearly convey the data it presents. Units of measurement should be provided, axes should be labeled, and any data within should be explained.
The APA describes the standards for good figures as “simplicity, clarity, continuity, and information value.” Try to make sure you’re hitting all four of those benchmarks when using a figure.
Figure Placement
There are two options for figure placement.
- All figures can be gathered together in a supplement at the end of the essay, following the reference list.
- Figures can be incorporated into the body of the essay, after the paragraph where they are first referenced or ‘called out.’
(The APA uses the term ‘callout’ to describe a reference to a figure, in order to avoid confusion with the references that go at the end of a paper. We’re going to use the term callout, too, if that’s okay with you, partner.)
Since we’re talking callouts, when using figures in the body of your essay, avoid sentences like: “As shown in the table below.” Instead, use the figure number: “As shown in Figure 1.”
A figure can take up an entire page if it is necessary. If not, place the figure at the top or the bottom of the page, depending on the flow of your essay. A figure should never be sandwiched between two sections of text.
Elements of a Figure
There are five elements of a figure, although you might not need to use all of them every time you insert a figure into an essay. They are all visible in the image on the right.
Figure #. This appears above the figure.
Title. The figure’s title comes one double-spaced line beneath its number. Figure titles should be in italic title case.
Image. This is the figure itself—your graph, chart, photograph, etc.
Legend. Your legend (or key) should appear within the boundaries of the figure. A legend only needs to be included if data is otherwise unlabeled.
Note. Any notes should appear one double-spaced line beneath the figure. Notes are optional. They might include definitions of terms, copyright information, explanations of odd data patterns (as seen in our example), or other information not conveyed in the figure or elsewhere in the essay.
We have also included a sample figure in our APA Essay Template, which can be found here.