Descriptive statistics come before any test: who took part, and what the main variables looked like. APA 7 has clear conventions for how means, standard deviations, medians and percentages are written, and when to move them into a table. This guide covers each, with sentences you can copy.
What you need before you write a single word
- The sample size (N) and the size of each group (n).
- For continuous variables: mean (M) and standard deviation (SD), or the median (Mdn) and interquartile range (IQR) if skewed; the range if useful.
- For categorical variables: counts and percentages.
- Any missing data or exclusions.
The APA 7 format template
[N] participants ([n] women, XX.X%) took part; their ages ranged from XX to XX years (M = XX.XX, SD = XX.XX). [Variable] averaged X.XX (SD = X.XX) on a 1–5 scale.
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Formatting rules reviewers actually check:
- Italicize M, SD, Mdn, IQR, n and N.
- Two decimals for M and SD in most cases; whole numbers for counts.
- Inside parentheses, use the abbreviations: (M = 4.21, SD = 1.03). In running text, write the words: "the mean age was 42 years".
- Percentages use the % sign with numerals: 58.7%.
- Use N for the whole sample and n for subgroups.
Worked examples
Sample description:
All 75 participants (44 women, 58.7%) completed the study; their ages ranged from 19 to 68 years (M = 42.12, SD = 10.44).
A continuous variable by group:
Mean weight loss was 6.07 kg (SD = 2.32) on the low-carb diet, 4.38 kg (SD = 2.43) on the low-fat diet and 6.24 kg (SD = 2.05) on the Mediterranean diet.
A skewed variable:
Hospital stays were right-skewed, so medians are reported (Mdn = 4 days, IQR = 2–7).
The descriptive statistics table
When you have more than three or four variables, use a table:
Table 1
Descriptive Statistics for the Study Variables
| Variable | n | M | SD | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 75 | 42.12 | 10.44 | 19–68 |
| Weight loss (kg) | 75 | 5.56 | 2.39 | −0.64–10.47 |
| Adherence (%) | 75 | 83.59 | 13.83 | 44–100 |
Note. N = 75. A negative weight loss is a weight gain.
The table replaces the sentences; the text then only points to it ("Descriptive statistics are shown in Table 1").
Mistakes reviewers catch
- Means for skewed or ordinal data. Use medians and IQR when the distribution is clearly skewed.
- SE where SD belongs. The standard error describes a mean's precision, not the spread of the data.
- Too many decimals. 42.1234 suggests precision the data do not have.
- The same numbers in a table and in the text. Choose one.
- No N after exclusions. Report how many were analysed, and why any were excluded.
Let KyroStat do the write-up for you
KyroStat computes the descriptive statistics for every variable, chooses means or medians by the shape of the data, and writes the sample description and Table 1 in APA 7.
Frequently asked questions
How many decimals for means and SDs? Usually two. Whole-number scales such as age in years can use one or none; be consistent.
Where do descriptive statistics go? The sample description often goes in the Method (Participants); descriptives of the study variables go at the start of the Results. See the full Results section example.
How do I format the table? See how to format APA tables.