A table that breaks APA rules is one of the quickest things a reviewer or supervisor notices. The rules are few and mechanical, so they are easy to get right once you know them. Below are the rules, an example to copy, and the mistakes that come up most often.
The rules
- Number: bold, flush left, above the table: Table 1. Number tables in the order the text first mentions them.
- Title: on the next line, italic, title case: Descriptive Statistics for the Study Variables.
- Lines: horizontal only. One above the column headings, one below them, one at the bottom of the table. Add one more only to separate a spanning heading from its subheadings. No vertical lines, no grid.
- Headings: every column has one, centred; the first column (the stub) holds the row labels.
- Numbers: the same number of decimals in a column, aligned on the decimal point; a minus sign (−) for negatives; no leading zero for values that cannot exceed 1.
- Notes, below the table, in this order:
- a general note starting with Note. (in italics), explaining abbreviations and the source;
- specific notes marked with superscript letters (ᵃ, ᵇ) for a column, row or cell;
- probability notes for asterisks: *p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001.
- Font and spacing: the same font as the text; the body can be single-, one-and-a-half- or double-spaced.
An example to copy
Table 2
Means, Standard Deviations and Correlations for the Study Variables
| Variable | M | SD | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Weekly study hours | 22.14 | 3.64 | — | ||
| 2. Prior GPA | 3.02 | 0.49 | .64*** | — | |
| 3. Exam score | 89.77 | 9.78 | .56*** | .62*** | — |
Note. N = 100. GPA on a 0–4 scale. ***p < .001.
Tables or text?
Use a table when the text would otherwise list more than three or four numbers in a row. The text then states what the table shows and refers to it ("as shown in Table 2"); it does not repeat every value.
Mistakes reviewers catch
- Vertical lines or a full grid, often Word's default table style.
- A title that is not italic, or the number and title on one line.
- Abbreviations not explained in the general note.
- Inconsistent decimals in a column.
- Asterisks with no probability note, or probability notes that do not match the thresholds used.
- Pasting SPSS output tables. They are not APA formatted; rebuild them.
Let KyroStat do the write-up for you
KyroStat produces every results table already formatted in APA 7, numbered and noted, ready to paste into Word.
Frequently asked questions
Where do tables go: in the text or at the end? APA 7 allows either: embedded after the paragraph that first mentions them, or each on its own page after the references. Follow your journal or university.
Do I need a title for every table? Yes: every table has a number and a title.
How do I make a correlation table specifically? See how to make an APA correlation table.
Where can I see a table inside a full Results section? See the annotated Results section example.