ALEC 681: Seminar APA Style: Tables & Figures

Objectives Discuss basic rules for creating tables and figures using APA standards Demonstrate tabular presentation Demonstrate presentation of figures Demonstrate specific notation for tables and figures

Basic Rules: Tables Tables: APA 3.62, p. 147  Efficiency for presenting large amounts of data  Usually show exact numerical values  Arranged in orderly display (columns and rows)  Must decide how many tables can be included in manuscript (see Journal specifics)  Tabular information should not over-power text  Small tables (two or fewer cols/rows) should be presented as textual information only

Basic Rules: Tables Table Checklist: APA 3.74, p. 175  Is the table necessary?  Is the entire table—including the title, headings, and notes—double-spaced? (Journal specifics)  Is the title brief but explanatory?  Does every column have a column heading?  Are all abbreviations; special use of italics, parentheses, and dashes; and special symbols explained?

Basic Rules: Tables Table Checklist: APA 3.74, p. 175  Are all probability level values correctly identified, and are asterisks attached to the appropriate table entries? Is a probability level assigned the same number of asterisks in all tables in the article?  Are the notes in the following order: general note, specific note, probability note?  Is the table cited in the text?

Table Example #1 Table X Error Rates of Older and Younger Groups Difficulty YoungerOlder MSDnM n Low Moderate High Note. Adapted from “Table Example 1,” by the American Psychological Association, 2001, Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.), p Washington, DC.

Table Example #1 Table X Error Rates of Older and Younger Groups Difficulty YoungerOlder MSDnM n Low a Moderate b High.11* Note. This table has notes, the first of which is a general note. a Specific note about “Low,” which follows a general note. b Notes can continue in same block of text, and flow Left-Right and Top-Bottom. *p <.05. [probability notes come last] See the APA Manual for more examples (pp ; ).

Table Rules Relation of Tables and Text: APA 3.63, p. 154  Tables supplement, not duplicate, textual information  Tables must be cited in text prior to their placement Use specific table numbers: …as shown in Table 2, Do not write, “the table above (or below)…” Which “table” does the citation reference?  Explain the table’s “highlights” only in text Relation between Tables: APA 3.64, p. 155  Combine tables that repeat data  Identical data should not appear in two or more tables

Table Rules Tables Numbers: APA 3.65, p. 155  Number all tables in the order they are cited in text  Do not use suffix letter (5, 5a, 5b)  If in Appendices, use letters + numbers (Table A1) Table Titles: APA 3.66, p. 155  Every table needs a brief, but clear title  Study examples (p. 156) to avoid ambiguity Headings: APA 3.67, p. 156  Headings establish logical organization to your data  Use stub heads, column and deck heads, and stubs

Table Rules Body of a Table: APA 3.68, p. 159  “Decimal align” data to avoid (+/-/*) distortion  Empty cells Where data are not applicable, leave cell blank If cell cannot be filled because data were not obtained/reported, insert a “dash” Dash Exception: correlation matrix dashes indicate non- computation of an item with itself (see Table 5, p. 153)  Conciseness Do not include columns where data can be determined from other columns (summed data)

Table Notes Notes to a Table: APA 3.70, p. 170  General Note: apply to the entire table, including clarifications of values, source attribution/copyright permission, explanations of abbreviations, etc.; always designated by Note (ital.). Note. This is a general note.  Specific Note: refers to a specific column, row, or cell; designated by superscript lower-case letters; order letters left to right, top to bottom; a Specific notes follow general notes; begin on a new line flush left. b Notes can continue within the same block of text.  Probability Note: indicates results of tests of significance. *p <.05. **p <.01.

Basic Rules: Figures Figures: APA 3.75, p. 176  Any illustration other than a table, is a figure Charts, graphs, photographs, drawings, etc.  Figures may require readers to estimate values  Convey overall pattern of results or interactions Figure Checklist: APA 3.75, p. 176  What idea do you need to convey?  Is the figure necessary?  What type of figure is most suited to your purpose? Simple versus complex graphics? B&W versus full color graphics?

Basic Rules: Figures Standards for Figures: APA 3.76, p. 177  Augments rather than duplicates the text  Conveys only essential facts  Omits visually distracting detail  Easy to read and understand

Basic Rules: Figures Types of Figures: APA 3.77, p. 177  Graphs show relations  Scatter plots represent values or single events  Line graphs show relation between two variables  Bar graphs are used with categorical IV  Pictorial graphs used to represent simple differences between groups  Circle/pie graphs show percentages (100%) and proportions

Figure Example Figure 1. Model of interactions in the student teaching experience. From “Developing a Model of Cooperating Teacher Effectiveness,” by T. G. Roberts, 2006, Journal of Agricultural Education, 47(3), p. 2.

Figure Example Figure 2. Conceptual model to study teaching efficacy during the student teaching semester. From “A Longitudinal Examination of Teaching Efficacy of Agricultural Science Student Teachers,” by T. G. Roberts, J. F. Harlin, and J. C. Ricketts, 2006, Journal of Agricultural Education, 47(2), p. 83.

Basic Rules: Figures Number all figures consecutively in their order of reference in text  Use specific numbers: …as seen in Figure 2,  Do not write, “the figure above (or below)…”  Explain the figure’s “highlights” only in text Use appropriate legends and captions  Study examples (p. 199) to avoid ambiguity  Examples of figures are in APA (pp )

That’s enough for today! Do you have questions?