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Ed.D. in Education Leadership

What Is a TABLE?

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"A table usually shows numerical values (e.g., means and standard deviations) and/or textual information (e.g., lists of stimulus words, responses from participants) arranged in columns and rows" (American Psychological Association [APA], 2019).

An example of an APA 7th formatted table

What Is a FIGURE?

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"A figure may be a chart, graph, photograph, drawing, plot, infographic, or any other illustration that is not a table" (APA, 2019).

Figure 1

Hourly Consumption of Caffeinated Beverages at Work

Example of an APA 7th-compliant figure created with Google Sheets

Note. Serving size in fluid ounces was approximated by measuring the capacity

of the containers when filled to a clearly marked fill line.

Tips for Creating Tables & Figures

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To keep the process of formatting tables and figures as simple as possible, you should choose one at the beginning and stick with it. We strongly recommend that you begin and continue with Microsoft Office tools; the dissertation template is only supported in Word, and it works well with tables and figures created with Excel.

Tips for Making Tables Using Microsoft Word

  • If you are creating a table simply to display your data (i.e. you do not need formulas, like those provided in Excel), you should select "Insert" > "Table" and select the appropriate number of rows and columns. Do not use Quick Tables, as these do not follow APA format.

  • Enter all of your data before formatting the table to meet APA requirements. You will be removing all vertical borders, and it is easier to edit your data while the borders are still visible.

  • When editing your table borders (the square "Borders" icon should appear when you select the whole table), you might find it easiest to highlight the entire table, remove all borders, and then highlight cells row by row to add horizontal borders where you need them.

  • Unlike a table created in Google Docs, a table created in Microsoft Word can be saved as an image. To do so:

    • Select the entire table you want to save as an image, right-click, and copy the table.
    • Open a new Word document. Right-click in the body of that document, and, under paste options, select picture.
    • Right-click the image you have pasted and select save as image. Now your table is an image that can be inserted anywhere without changing its formatting.