Figures, Tables and Appendices

Within your text

Refer to the figure by the figure number and tell your reader what to look out for, e.g. “The sketch shown in Figure 2, suggests that...”

Position of figures

Place the figure after a full paragraph. APA suggests they are aligned with the left margin, and that a double spaced blank line is placed above them unless they are at the top of a page.

Above the figure

Figure number in bold type with sequential numbering

If you are not already using double line spacing for your whole essay, add a double line space here.

Title of Figure in italics (if there is no title, succinctly describe the image)

Then add the figure

Below the figure

Note. in italics followed by a full stop. Then standard typeface, include details of the source. Add the word “From” followed by the in-text citation - author, date, page number, if available. You can also include additional information about the contents, for example, definitions of abbreviations or copyright information.

The full reference for the figure is then included in your Reference List along with all other sources you have cited in the text of your assignment.

Your figure should look like this:

Figure 2

David Sherren with globe and map in the Map Library

Note. From University of Portsmouth Library, 2020.

The full reference for this figure, which you include in your Reference List, would be:

University of Portsmouth Library. (2020, October 27). Map library resources. https://library.port.ac.uk/maps.html

Within your text

Refer to the table by the table number and tell your reader what to look out for, e.g. “The data shown in Table 2, suggests that...”

Position of figures

Place table after a full paragraph. APA suggests they are aligned with the left margin, and that a double spaced blank line is placed above them unless they are at the top of a page.

Above the figure

Table number in bold type with sequential numbering

If you are not already using double line spacing for your whole essay, add a double line space here.

Title of table in italics (if there is no title, succinctly describe the table or use the title from the original source)

Then add the table

Below the table

Note. in italics followed by a full stop. Then standard typeface, include details of the source. Add the word “From” followed by the in-text citation - author, date, page number, if available. You can also include additional information about the contents, for example, definitions of abbreviations or copyright information.

The full reference for the table is then included in your Reference List along with all other sources you have cited in the text of your assignment.

Your table should look like this:

Table 2

Summary of Primary SBM Archetypes Used by Companies

Note. From Ulvenblad and Tell, 2019, p. 10.

The full reference for this table would be:

Ulvenblad, P., & Tell, J. (2019). An overview of sustainable business models for innovation in Swedish agri-food production. Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences, 16(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815X.2018.1554590

Your List of Tables and Figures should be on a separate page and placed after the Contents page.

It should have List of Tables and Figures as a heading at the top of the page.

If you are only using Tables or Figures, not both, you can change the title to List of Tables or List of Figures.

If you have both Tables and Figures, they should be listed separately with Tables given first.

Your list should look like this:

If you have adapted a table or figure from a published source, treat this in the same way as a table or figure, then add the words “Adapted from” in front of the citation.

Note. Adapted from Ulvenblad and Tell, 2019, p. 10.

If you have created a figure or table using data from more than one source, put “Adapted from” after Note. and include all citations for the information used.

For complicated tables and figures, if needed, you can either:

a) include citations within your table by including Author (Date). If you do this a Note. below the table is no longer required. 

For example:

Table 3

Justification for Use of Instagram for Marketing

or

b) differentiate between sources by using a, b, c in your table. You can then list your citations after each letter in the Note. This is helpful for complicated tables using data from many different sources.

For example:

Table 4

Business Start-ups Average Risk Rating

Note: These figure are approximated depending on the use of ...

^a From Smith (2018, p.2). ^b From Central Bank (2019). ^c This number represents ... From ...

If you have created the table or figure yourself, for example if you took the photograph or created the chart from your own research data, you do not need to include an in-text citation within the Note field.

Follow the guidance for tables or figures, but leave out the line of text starting with the word Note. below the table or figure.

Images produced using an AI tool

To include the image in your work, follow the same formatting guidance as for any other image. Below the image provide a caption that explains that the work was generated using an AI tool, and what prompt was used. No reference list entry is required for an image that you have produced using an AI tool.

For example:

Figure 1

An AI-generated image of a restaurant.

Note. Image generated using Ideogram.ai from the prompt: A photo of a busy restaurant with views of the sea. The room is filled with wooden tables and chairs. There's a bar in the corner. The walls are adorned with modern lights and abstract artwork. The ceiling has exposed wooden beams. The lighting is warm and soft. 
 

AI-generated images reproduced in a published source

If you use AI-generated images reproduced in a published source (e.g. a newspaper article), follow the formatting guidance for an image and include an in-text citation to the source in the Note. 

Include the published source in your reference list using the guidelines for the relevant source type.

It may be helpful for you to state that the image is AI-generated in the caption and/or note.

For example:

Figure 1

Jason Allen’s AI-generated work, Théâtre D’opéra Spatial

(image)

Note. From Roose, 2022.

The reference list entry for this would be:

Roose, K. (2022, September 2). An A.I.-generated picture won an art prize. Artists aren’t happy. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/technology/ai-artificial-intelligence-artists.html

Academically, an appendix is used to contain supplementary information relevant to a dissertation, or occasionally an essay or assignment, but whose contents are not part of the main text.  It can help the reader understand the context or detail or present findings or documents that support an argument.  

Information essential to the dissertation or assignment should be included in the main text.  Refer to any appendix at least once by name in the main text or don’t include it.  See Layout of appendices for more on naming.

An appendix, or multiple appendices, might include:

• data collected in research
• tables, figures or maps
• evidence of calculations
• transcripts of interviews
• search terms & strategies
• sample questionnaire form or a sample informed consent form or an ethical approval form
• results of questionnaires (suitably anonymised)
• computer program listings
• laboratory equipment or procedures, or
• personal communications such as correspondence.

What is included in your word count will depend on the assignment you are writing - please check on your Moodle module or with your lecturer. APA states that everything is included in your word count but generally, for most University assessments, the word count is from the first word of your first sentence to the last word of your last sentence so excludes the title, reference list, and appendices.  

Any questions regarding appendices should be directed to your lecturers.

If you are a Business student who has been asked to include extracts from published works in their appendices, please click 'more' below for information. 

Although not standard in APA, Business students may be instructed to include tables or figures from published sources in their appendices.

These sources should already be referred to in the main body of the work and included in the reference list, so they can be referenced in the appendices with

Note. From Author, date

underneath the figure/table.

If you are a Business student and using sources in an appendix that are not already referenced in the main body of the work, a full reference should be provided underneath the table/figure in the appendices.

Please check with the Business lecturer marking your work for further clarity.

Give each appendix a label and a title. If your work has only one appendix, you should label it Appendix.

If there is more than one, each should start on a new page and be labeled with a capital letter (Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.) in the order in which it is mentioned in the text of your work. Each appendix should be mentioned at least once in the main text of your essay by its label 

For example:

... were seen throughout the century (for more details see Appendix A).

The results from this study (see Appendix B) show ....

The appendix title should describe its contents. Place the appendix label and title in bold, centered, and on separate lines at the top of the page. You should also use title case for both the label and title. For example...

Appendix A

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