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Figures

Presentation by Kate Cottle

Figures

▪ Figures are any graphical element that cannot be presented better with words – Graphs

– Photographs

– Maps

– Drawings

– Charts: Flow Chart, Organizational Chart

▪ Any element that you use may not be distorted in a way that distorts the original meaning of the figure.

▪ If you manipulate the figures in any way, you must include this information in the legend.

(APA, 2009; Perrin, 2012)

▪ The APA Manual (2009) lists the following three questions to ask yourself about using a figure – Does the figure have a high “information value” (p. 150)?

– Is the figure “the best way to communicate the information” (p. 151)?

– Can the figure be reproduced in a way that doesn’t distort the original visuals of the figure but also does not leave the reader with “visually distracting detail” (p. 151)?

▪ Is it “easy to read” (p. 152)?

▪ Is its “purpose…readily apparent” (p. 152)?

(APA, 2009; Perrin, 2012)

Figures

Figures

▪ If you are using a figure from a copyrighted source, get permission before you use it – This is if the essay will be published. If the essay is solely for a class,

then you are covered under Fair Use as long as you have correctly cited the image.

▪ Like tables, figures do not appear in the body of the text.

▪ They are at the end, following the References page and any tables.

▪ Figures are numbered consecutively (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.) and that is how you reference figures in your work.

(APA, 2009; Perrin, 2012)

Figures

▪ Each figure is on a new page.

▪ Each figure has a label (title) and a legend. – The legend must contain enough information so that the figure can be

understood by itself.

– The label and legend should both be in a sans serif font like Helvetica or Arial

(APA, 2009; Perrin, 2012)

Figure Formatting

(APA, 2009; Paiz, J. M., Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderlund, L., Brizee, A., and Keck, R., 2013; Perrin, 2012)

Figure 1. In a paragraph about teaching grammar, the words are rank ordered

by size. The ranking is the frequency with which the words are used in the

paragraph.

Easily reproducible; clear lines; a clear reason for use; a clear reference in the text, etc.

Figures are identified by a caption and label at the bottom only. The caption is “Figure” and number in italics (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.)

The legend is descriptive text about the figure. This explanation should allow the figure to stand on its own/not need the essay text to explain it. No indentation in the second line. Use a sans serif font and double space the caption

References

American Psychological Association. (2009.) Publication manual of the

American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Perrin, R. (2012). Pocket guide to APA style (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.

Paiz, J. M., Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M.,

Soderlund, L., Brizee, A., and Keck, R. (2013). APA tables and figures 2.

Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/20/