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APA Reference Formatting: Figures (Images) & Tables

Figures and Tables

A figure is any illustration or image that is not a table.

PhD students and anyone including images in work that will be published in the public domain, need to follow strict APA guidelines around the inclusion of copyright information, however, this is an overcomplication for undergraduate students and those using images in regular assignments.  Therefore, we have created different examples below to cater for both levels of work.

Undergraduate - Figures

Below are two examples of how a figure could appear in your text:

Figure 1

First-Year Students Preparing for the Amazing Race

Note. The image pertains to a small sample size of the participants (The University of Waikato, n.d.).

 

In-text citation

Figure 1 shows that ... (University of Waikato, n.d.).

 

Figure 2

Moa Nalo Nones Discovered in Hawaii

Note. (Eickhoff, 2010).

In-text citation

According to Eickhoff’s photo (2020), Moa nalo bones ...

 

A figure number must appear above the image with the image title. If the image does not have an official title, then a description of the image can be used. 

Below the image must be a 'Note' field, with the in-text citation for the image, plus any additional information you may want to include.

 

Reference List entries:

Eickhoff, D. (2010). Thambetochen xanion [Photograph]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/5126517100

University of Waikato. (n.d.). [Photograph of first-year students]. https://www.waikato.ac.nz/student-life/student-experience

As both of these images came from websites, we follow the same format as a website, however, we also add a description of the type of source used in square brackets after the title (this shows your reader that it is the photograph being referenced rather than the website as a whole).  When your image doesn't have an official title, you can create a title based on an appropriate description of the image/figure and put that in square brackets (unitalicised).

 

Your own images

If you want to include an image you created or took yourself, you do not need to include an in-text citation or a reference list entry.  However, for assessment purposes it is advisable to let your reader know that it is your own photo and you haven't just forgotten to reference it.  It could look like this:  

Figure 3

Waihi Beach, New Zealand

Beach, grass in the foreground, waves rolling onto the beach, an island in the distance.

Note. Author's own photograph.

 

Undergraduate - Tables

Tables contain information, which can be words, numbers or a mixture of both, organised in cells. Below is an example of how a table would appear in text:

 

Table 1

 A Cross-Cultural Study of Folktale Motifs

Note. This table has been adapted from the original (Huck et al., 1997).

 

Like an image/figure, you need to include a table number and title above the table and a note below to include an in-text citation, plus any additional information required.

If the information in your table is your own work, you do not need to include a reference.

 

Reference List entry

Huck, C. S., Hepler, S., Hickland, J., & Kiefer, B. Z. (1997). Children’s literature in the elementary school (6th ed.). Brown & Benchmark Publishers.

Published research (PhDs) - Figures

This section is recommended for postgraduate students submitting a thesis or any research that will be published in the public domain, such as Waikato Research Commons or a journal article. For the use of images and tables in assignments that will only be viewed by your marker, please use the undergraduate section above.

Copyright

Permission to reproduce copyrighted images must be obtained from the publisher or copyright holder for you to include them in your thesis/research. In the note field underneath the image, you need to include the copyright information and a permission statement at the end of the caption.

For thesis images, a note field should contain:

  1. Description: If extra information is required to clarify the contents of the figure, include it underneath the figure.
  2. Source information: Unless the figure is your own work, the source must be acknowledged in full. Start with ‘From’ or ‘Adapted from’ as appropriate.  For more information see the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed., p. 391.
  3. Copyright status and permission: Copyright status has three types:
    1. Copyright year by name of copyright holder.
    2. In the public domain.
    3. Creative commons licenses - e.g. CC BY-NC.

Note:  The format of the reference that is placed within the figure's note field for copyright purposes, does not follow the same format as it does in the reference list.  Refer to the Manual for examples. 

Copyright Image from webpage

 

Figure 1

First-Year Students

​​​​​​Note. From Student Experience, by University of Waikato, n.d. (https://www.waikato.ac.nz/student-life/student-experience). Copyright n.d. by University of Waikato.

 

In-text citation

In Figure 1, students are ... (University of Waikato, n.d.).

Reference List

University of Waikato. (n.d.). Student experience. https://www.waikato.ac.nz/student-life/student-experience

 

Copyright image from a book/eBook

 

Figure 3

 Movement Analysis Framework (Wheel) Depicting the Interaction of Movement Concepts and Skill Themes

Note: This wheel is intended to be interactive, with the centre part rotating to match the different areas on the outer wheel. From Children Moving: A Reflective Approach to Teaching Physical Education (9th ed., p.35), by G. Graham, S. A. Holt/Hale, and M. Parker, 2013, McGraw-Hill. Copyright 2013 by McGraw-Hill.

 

In-text citation

Figure 3 shows the ... (Graham et al., 2013).

Reference list

Grahan, G., Holt/Hale, S. A., & Parker, M. (2013). Children moving: A reflective approach to teaching physical education (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

 

Published research (PhDs) - Tables

As for undergraduates, you would include the same kind of information when including a table into your thesis as a figure, the only difference being you would put 'Table 1' instead of 'Figure 1' above the table.

Table 1

 A Cross-Cultural Study of Folktale Motifs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note. Adapted from Children’s Literature in the Elementary School (p. 279), by C. S. Huck, S. Hepler, J. Hickland and B. Z. Kiefer, 1997, Brown & Benchmark Publishers. Copyright 1997 by Time Mirror Higher Education Group.

 

In-text citation

As in Table 1, folklores are … (Huck et al., 1997).

In reference list

Huck, C. S., Hepler, S., Hickland, J., & Kiefer, B. Z. (1997). Children’s literature in the elementary school (6th ed.). Brown & Benchmark Publishers.