Making Tables and Figures
Don Quick
Colorado State University
Tables and figures are used in most fields of study to provide a visual presentation of important
information to the reader. They are used to organize the statistical results of a study, to list
important tabulated information, and to allow the reader a visual method of comparing related
items. Tables offer a way to detail information that would be difficult to describe in the text.
A figure is a graphic or pictorial representation, such as a chart, graph, photograph, or line
drawing. These figures may include pie charts, line charts, bar charts, organizational charts, flow
charts, diagrams, blueprints, or maps. Limit figures to situations in which a visual helps the reader
understand the methodology or results. Use a table to provide specific numbers and summary
text, and use figures for visual presentations.
The meaning and major focus of the table or figure should be evident to the readers without their
having to make a thorough study of it. A glance should be all it takes for the idea of what the
table or figure represents to be conveyed to the reader. By reading only the text itself, the reader
may have difficulty understanding the data; by constructing tables and figures that are well
presented, readers will be able to understand the study results more easily.
The purpose of this appendix is to provide guidelines that will enhance the presentation of
research findings and other information by using tables and figures. It will highlight the important
aspects of constructing tables and figures using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association, Sixth Edition (2010) as the guide for formatting.
General Considerations Concerning Tables
Be selective as to how many tables are included in the total document. Determine how much data
the reader needs to comprehend the material, and then decide if the information would be better
presented in the text or as a table. A table containing only a few numbers is unnecessary, whereas
a table containing too much information may not be understandable. Tables should be easy to
read and interpret. If at all possible, combine tables that repeat data, so that results are presented
only once.
Keep a consistency to all of your tables throughout your document. All tables and figures in your
document should use a similar format, with the results organized in a comparable fashion. Use the
same name and scale in all tables, figures, and the text that use the same variable.
In a final manuscript such as a thesis or dissertation, adjust the column headings or spacing
between columns so the width of the table fits appropriately between the margins. Fit all of one
table on one page. Reduce the data, change the type size, or decrease line spacing to make it fit. A
short table may be on a page with text as long as it follows the first mention of it. Each long table
is on a separate page immediately after it is mentioned in the text. If the fit and appearance would
be improved, turn the table sideways (landscape orientation, with the top of table toward the
spine) on the page.