The document provides guidelines for constructing figures according to APA style. It discusses the different types of figures, which include graphs, charts, drawings, maps, plots, photographs, and multipanel figures. It also outlines the standards for good figures, such as simplicity, clarity, and information value. The document then describes the basic components of a figure, including the figure number, title, image, legend, and notes. It provides details on formatting these components, such as using bold for the number, italic title case for the title, and placement of legends and notes. Sample figures are also included to demonstrate these guidelines.

1. APA Style
Guidelines for Figure
Construction
K.THIYAGU, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod
(Research Article / Dissertation / Thesis)

2. Figures (Consists)
Graph
Display the
relationship
between two
quantitative indices
or between a
continuous
quantitative
variable
(X-axis and Y-axis)
For Example,
Bar Graph and
Line Graph
Charts
Display
nonquantitative
information
(Boxes, squares, or circles
connected with straight or
curved lines or arrows.)
For Example,
Flow diagrams,
Research Design,
Framework, SEM,
CFA models & path
models;
Drawing
Show information
pictorially
and can be used
to illustrate
For Example,
Experimental setups
and Experimental
stimuli.
Maps
Display
Spatial
Information
For Example,
Geographic
Census Information
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3. Figures (Consists)
Plots
Plots present individual
data points as a
function of axis
variables.
For Example,
Scatterplot, which is
used to explore the
relationship between
two variables
Photographs
Contain direct visual
representations of
information.
For Example,
Facial Expression
Multipanel Figures
A multipanel figure may
combine bar graphs,
linegraphs, histograms,
and other figure types
into one figure
For Example,
Combine panels into one
figure
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4. Standards
for
Good
Figures
Simplicity
Clarity
Continuity
Information
Value
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5. Principles of Figure Construction
A good figure augments rather than duplicates the text
Conveys only essential information
Omits visually distracting detail,
Easy to read — its elements (e.g., type, lines, labels, symbols)
Easy to understand—its purpose is readily apparent,
Carefully planned and prepared
Consistent with and in the same style as similar figures in the same article.
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6. Images
Clear
Lines
Smooth
Sharp
Font
Simple
Legible
Units
Measurement
should
provided
Axes
Clearly
Labeled
Elements
Within the
figure are
labeled
For figures of all types, Check that
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7. Figure Components
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8. Figure Components
Number
Appear
Above the
figure
-
Left
Font Look
Bold
Title
Appear
One Double-
spaced line
below the
figure number
Font Style
Italic Title case
Image
Image
Portion
Chart, Graph,
Photograph,
Drawing,
or
other
illustration
itself.
Legend
Position
Within the
borders of the
figure
Explains
Any symbols
used in the
figure image
Note
Types
General,
Specific, and
Probability
Appear
Below the
Figure
Example
Definitions of
abbreviations,
Copyright
Attribution
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9. Basic Components of a Figure
Source:
7th Edition :
Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association
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10. Figure Numbers
•Arabic Numerals
•Eg: Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 3Numbers
•Assign numbers to all figures in the orderAssign
•BoldFont
•Flush Left (Not indented or centered)Appear
•Figures that appear in appendices follow
a different numbering schemeAppendix
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11. Figure Titles
Figure
• Every figure a brief but clear and
explanatory title
Content
• The basic content of the figure should be
easily inferred from the title.
Font
• Italic title case
Appear
• Below the figure number and double-space
the figure number and title
Avoid
• Avoid overly general and overly detailed
figure titlesCC-BY-NC-SA 11

12. Figure Images
Size and Proportion of Elements
Each element in a figure must be large
enough and sharp enough to be legible.
Use a simple sans serif font (e.g., Arial, Calibri,
Lucida Sans Unicode)
Font size should be no smaller than 8 points
and no larger than 14 points.
As a general guideline, plot symbols should
be about the size of lowercase letters that
appear in a label within the figure.
Spelling, Capitalization, and Numbers
Within Figure Images
Abbreviate the words “number” to “no.” and
“percentage” to “%.”
Words within figure images other than those
on the axis labels or in the figure legend may
be written in either title case or sentence case
it is permissible to use numerals for all
numbers in a figure if this would be clearer or
save space.
Statistics, Greek letters, and units of
measurement do not need to be defined in a
figure note
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13. Figure Images
Shading
Limit the number of
different shadings used in a
single graphic.
If different shadings are
used to distinguish bars or
segments of a graph, choose
shadings that are distinct;
If more than two shadings
are needed, use patterns,
again making sure that the
patterns are distinct
Color
Color can serve both
Communicative and
Decorative Purposes in
Figures
Article Publication
Should avoid the use of
color
(Because of the relatively high
cost of color reproduction for
printed materials)
Panel
The decision of whether to divide a
figure into panels or create a
separate figure for each panel
(e.g., Top panel, Left panel, Middle
panel).
To label panels, assign each one a
capital letter (e.g., A, B) and place
the label at the top left of the
panel. Refer to the panels as
“Panel A,” “Panel B,” and so
forth.
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14. A Legend
A legend (also called a key) explains any symbols, line
styles, or shading or pattern variants used in the image
portion of the figure
The legend is an integral part of the figure;
Only figures that have symbols, line styles, or shadings
needing definition should include legends.
When possible, place legends within or below the image
instead of to the side to avoid having empty space around
the legend.
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15. Figure Notes
Figure notes contain
information needed to clarify
the contents of the figure for
readers.
As with tables, figures may
have three kinds of notes:
General, specific, and
probability.
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16. GeneralNote
Appears below
the figure.
General note to a
figure appears
first and contains
information
needed to
understand the
figure
Eg:
Abbreviation, Copyright
Attribution
SpecificNote
Explains a
particular
elements of the
figure and
appears in a
separate
paragraph below
any general notes
ProbabilityNote
It appears as a
separate
paragraph below
any specific notes
follow in the
same paragraph
(For p Values)
Figure Notes
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17. Sample
Figures
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18. Basic Components of a Figure
Source:
7th Edition :
Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association
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19. Source:7thEdition-PublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation
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20. Source:7thEdition-PublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation
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21. Source:7thEdition-PublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation
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22. Source:7thEdition-PublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation
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23. Source:7thEdition-PublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation
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24. Source:7thEdition-PublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation
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25. Source:7thEdition-PublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation
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26. Source:7thEdition-PublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation
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27. Source:7thEdition-PublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation
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28. Source:7thEdition-PublicationManualoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation
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29. Thank You
Jai Bharat! CC-BY-NC-SA 29