InfoGuides: Citations: Infographics, Images, and Tables

Image Within the Paper

In APA Style, all types of visual displays other than tables are considered figures.

Some examples of figures include: line graphs, bar graphs, charts (example: pie chart), drawings, maps, photographs, and infographics.

Basic Elements:

Number: The figure number (example: Figure 1) is placed above the figure title and is in bold font. Number figures in the order in which they are mentioned in your paper.
Title: The figure title appears one double-spaced line below the figure number. The figure title should be brief and descriptive. Capitalize and use italics for the figure title.
Image: Insert image after the figure title. If text appears in the image of the figure (example: axis labels), use a sans serif font (example: Arial) between 8 and 14 points.
Legend or Key (optional): If your figure needs a legend or key, it should be positioned within the borders of the figure. The figure legend or key explains any symbols used in the figure image. Capitalize words in the figure legend or key in title case.
Note: Additional descriptive information about the figure image should be placed in the figure note. In addition to using in-text citations and a full citation in the reference list, when you use or adapt a figure from another source, the source should be acknowledged in the figure note. Copyright information should also be included here. If you have reproduced a figure exactly, start the note with "From..." If you made any visible changes to the figure, start the note with "Adapted from..."

Types of copyright and permission:

Type	Example
Standard copyright	Copyright 2024 by Association of Citations.
Creative Commons License	CC BY-NC.
Public domain	In the public domain.

Example 2: Note. Adapted from Example Webpage, by W. Smith, 2025, Example Website (URL). CC BY 4.0.

Where do I place figures and tables?

There are two options for the placement of figures/tables in a paper.

Option 1: You can embed figures/tables in the text after each is first mentioned, OR

Option 2: You can place each figure/table on a separate page after the reference page

An embedded figure/table may take up an entire page, or you may have both text and the figure/table appear on the same page. If the figure/table and text appear on the same page, place the figure/table at either the top or bottom of the page, rather than in the middle. Make sure to add one blank double-spaced line between the figure/table and any text to improve the visual presentation.