When representing data and other complex ideas quickly and efficiently, academics from a range of disciplines often turn to tables and figures formatted according to APA standards. The following guidelines for documenting in-text visuals come from Chapter 5 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. Where applicable, the manual sections are included in brackets.
Using columns and rows, tables quickly and clearly display large amounts of data to supplement discussion in the text. [5.07]
Make each table an integral part of the paper. Refer to a table as close as possible to where it appears in the text.
All other visuals (graphs, charts, dot maps, illustrations, photographs, maps, etc.) are referred to as figures. [5.20; 5.21].
Other visual materials (graphs, charts, dot maps, photographs, or drawings) are labeled Figure.