APA Table Guidelines

Tables present a large quantity of information clearly and concisely, in columns and rows for easy classification and comparison. Tables do not duplicate text, but present new information. You should be able to understand them without the text (5.10). Basic Presentation and Formatting Numbering: Number tables in the order they appear in the text (e.g. Table 1, Table 2). If the table is contained in an appendix, label the table with the appendix letter as well (e.g. Table A1, Table A2, Table B1) (5.05). Referring to Tables: Refer to every table in the text of the paper, and tell the reader what to look for in the table. Do not discuss every element of the table—cover the highlights. Refer to tables by their number (“as shown by Table 8”), not their position in the text (“as shown by the table above”) (5.10). Titling: Titles should be brief yet descriptive. Capitalize each major word in the title (not of, on, in, and, etc.). Italicize titles. Don’t put a period. (Example: Mean Performance Scores of Students With Different College Majors) (5.12) Columns and Headings  Generally, arrange tables so different types of information can be compared left to right across columns (5.08). This is easier than comparing them up and down.  Each component of a table is unique; don’t repeat rows or columns within a table.  Each column and row has a heading. Make headings concise but descriptive. Capitalize the first word, don’t bold or italicize the text, and don’t put a period after the heading. (Example: Temporal lobe) (5.13)  If a heading covers multiple columns, there must be a row above or beneath that heading that contains individual column headings (5.13).  Column and row headings may contain standard symbols and abbreviations (e.g.,%, M, SD, df, F) without explanation, but nonstandard abbreviations should be explained in a note to the table. Unlike full words, abbreviations in headings don’t necessarily need to be capitalized (5.13). Notes to a Table There are three kinds of notes to tables. If there are notes in two or more of the categories, they must appear in the order: general, specific, probability (5.16).

General notes are about the table as a whole. They begin with the word "Note" (capitalized and italicized), followed by a period. The first word of the note’s text is capitalized, and the note ends in a period. *(Example: Note. All nonsignificant three-way interactions were omitted.)

Specific notes are about a particular column, row, or cell. They begin with a lower-case letter in superscript format (e.g., a)that also appears in the column, row, or cell the note refers to. Use letters in alphabetical order. Order the letters in the body of the table from the upper left-hand side of the table to the lower right-hand side. Notes end with a period. (Example: an = 15 for each group.)

For more information, see the APA publication manual, 6th Ed. (Sections 5.07-5.19), pp. 128-150). Visit http://fhsswriting.byu.edu/ for style guides, handouts, and help with writing, research, and more. Probability notes are about statistical findings. They are commonly used to specify the p-value of a particular statistical test. For example, if you have some results that are significant at the p = .05 level and others that are significant at the p = .01 level, put different symbols next to those results in the table, and provide an explanatory note of your symbols underneath the table. Begin probability notes with the symbol to be defined and end them with a period. (Example: *p < .05. **p < .01.)

Sample Table

Table 1

Dogs Scoring Above Average on Intelligence by Breed and Gender

Breed Male Female % Dachshund 123 234 17.6 Terrier 456 567 31.1 Siberian Huskya 789 891 51.3 Totals (N = 3060) 1368 1692 Note. Average score = 150. No animals were harmed during testing

aThree huskies (one male, two female) escaped before testing was completed and are therefore not included in the table.

Table Checklist (5.19)  Table is necessary  Table is referred to in the text  All comparable tables in the manuscript are consistent in presentation  Title is brief but explanatory  Every column has a column heading  All abbreviations, special symbols, and special use of italics, parentheses, and dashes are explained  All probability-level values are correctly identified, and asterisks are attached to the appropriate table entries  A probability level is assigned the same number of asterisks in all tables in the same article  Notes are in the following order: general note, specific note, probability note

For more information, see the APA publication manual, 6th Ed. (Sections 5.07-5.19), pp. 128-150). Visit http://fhsswriting.byu.edu/ for style guides, handouts, and help with writing, research, and more.