APA Style Figure Captions

Layout of APA Style Graphs

Axis Labels and Legends in APA Style

Referencing Tables and Figures in Text

According to APA style guidelines, which of the following is an essential requirement when preparing a figure?

Match each APA style guideline for figure preparation with the specific objective it aims to achieve in scientific reporting.

A researcher is preparing a bar graph for a psychology manuscript and uses abbreviations for the treatment conditions (e.g., 'Cond-A' and 'Cond-B') without defining them in the figure's caption, assuming the reader will refer to the Method section for those definitions. This practice adheres to APA style guidelines.

To ensure a graphical depiction of data adheres to APA style, a researcher must evaluate it against specific standards. Arrange the following evaluative checks in the correct order, moving from the initial assessment of the figure's necessity to the final check for its standalone interpretability.

Which of the following best describes the meaning of the APA style guideline that a figure must be 'completely interpretable on its own'?

A researcher includes a bar graph in their Results section. Although the graph is simple and self-contained, a reviewer suggests removing it because the exact same numerical data is already clearly presented in a table. This reviewer's suggestion is based on the APA guideline that a figure is only justified if it adds _____ rather than repeating data already found in the text or a table.

In APA style, graphical depictions of data—such as pie charts, bar graphs, and scatterplots—are collectively referred to as _____.

A researcher preparing an APA-style journal manuscript creates a bar graph that uses three distinct colors—blue, red, and green—to distinguish three experimental conditions, reasoning that the colors help readers differentiate the groups at a glance. According to APA style guidelines, using color in this way is appropriate for a journal manuscript.

A student is reviewing four figure-related decisions made by a lab partner preparing an APA-style manuscript. For each scenario, identify which APA figure guideline—or its consistent application—best explains why the decision is correct or problematic.

A researcher must decide whether to present a complex dataset as prose, a table, or an APA-style figure—and, if a figure, whether it meets all required standards before submission. Arrange the following steps in the order a researcher should complete them to make this decision responsibly.

According to the guidelines for APA style, what are the three general rules that researchers must keep in mind when preparing graphical depictions of data (figures)?

Explain how the student's figure violates the three general APA style guidelines.

A researcher is designing a scatterplot for an APA-style psychology report. How should they apply the third guideline regarding interpretability when writing the figure's caption?