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Citing sources according to APA guidelines

APA Style @ TiU

2.6 Reproducing a figure from another source

Placement of figures

There are two options for the placement of figures in a paper. The first option is to place all figures on separate pages after the reference list (the order of pages that may be included after the reference list is: footnotes, tables, figures, appendices). The second option is to embed each figure within the text. In student papers, figures are usually included in the text for readability reasons.

Embedding a figure in the text

  1. Refer to (call out) every figure by its number - do not use the phrase “the figure below.” Each figure needs to be numbered in the order in which it appears in the document, e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2. There should be one double-spaced blank line between the text and the figure number.
    As can be seen in Figure 1, the model illustrates question wording as an independent variable in survey analysis.
    We additionally find that some features are stronger predictors than others (see Figure 2).
  2. The figure number (e.g., Figure 1) appears above the figure in bold font. There should be one double-spaced blank line between the text and the figure number.
  3. The figure title appears below the figure number in italics. There should be one double-spaced line between the figure number and the figure title. Note that figures may not have a set title. If this is the case, give a description of the figure where you would normally put the title. Capitalize the first word of the title, the first word of the subtitle (if any), and all major words. Major words include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and all words of four letters or more. Do not add a period after the title.
    Depression Symptoms in US Adults Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  4. Place the figure against the left margin line.
  5. Below the figure, type “Note.” in italics. 
    Three types of figure notes – respectively general, specific, and probability notes - can appear to describe contents of the figure that cannot be understood from the figure title, figure, and/or legend alone. Note that a figure may not require notes. However, if the figure is reprinted or adapted from another work, there must be a general note that contains the source citation.
    • If there is a general note, reproduce it. Insert a space, then provide the source citation and a copyright statement or CC license (or any other open license). The format of the source citation depends on the type of work from which the figure is taken. Multiple examples are available on de next page.
    • After the source citation, reproduce any specific or probability notes (in that order).
  6. Let the text continue. There should be one double-spaced line between the figure note and the text.
  7. Finally, in the reference list at the end of the text, include a reference to the work (a full description of the work) from which the figure originated. Note that this reference is formatted differently than the source citation in the figure note. Choose the correct format for the source type (refer to section 4: Reference examples by source type).

Templates & Examples

Figure note template

Note. Explanations to supplement or clarify information in the figure. From [or: Adapted from] “Title of Article,” by First Initial. Second Initial. Author Surname, year, Journal Title, volume number(issue), p. xxx (DOI or URL). Copyright year by Name of Copyright Holder. [or: In the public domain. or: Creative Commons license abbreviation.]

• Figure, reproduced from a journal article, with the publisher as the copyright holder

Figure 1

Total Number of Child and Youth Assessments Before and During the Pandemic

Note. Prepandemic data points represent the average Number of assessments conducted that month in 2018 and and 2019 and pandemic data points represent the average number of assessments conducted that month in 2020. Data labels for during pandemic data points represent the percentage change between prepandemic and during pandemic assessments for that month. From “Child and Youth Mental Health Needs and Service Utilization During COVID-19,” 2021, by S. L. Stewart, A. S. Vasudeva, J. N. Van Dyke, and J. W. Poss. Traumatology, 37(1), p. 5 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/trm0000345). Copyright 2021 by American Psychological Association.

• Figure, reproduced from a journal article with a Creative Commons license

Figure 2

Percentage Change in Dutch Industrial Employment, Production and Labour Productivity 2002–2010
Note. From “Industrial Innovation, Labour Productivity, Sales and Employment,” 2021, by G. Woltjer, M. van Galen, and K. Logatcheva, International Journal of the Economics of Business, 28(1), p. 98 (https://doi.org/10.1080/13571516.2019.1695448). CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Figure note template

Note. Explanations to supplement or clarify information in the figure. From [or: Adapted from] Book Title (p. xxx) by First Initial. Second Initial. Author Surname, year, Publisher (DOI or URL). Copyright year by Name of Copyright Holder. [or: In the public domain. or: Creative Commons license abbreviation.]

• Figure, reproduced from a book with the publisher as the copyright holder

Figure 3

Impact of Exposure to Risk Factors and Traumas on Life Outcomes  
Note. Model depicting the relationship between negative events in a person’s past (“Risk Factors/Traumas”) and present (“Stressors”) context on behavior. From Criminality in Context: The Psychological Foundations of Criminal Justice Reform (p. 59), by C. Haney, 2020, American Psychological Association (https://doi.org/10.1037/0000172-000). Copyright 2020 by American Psychological Association.

• Figure, reproduced from a book with a Creative Commons license

Figure 4

Balancing engagement of governmental actors and critical distance
Note. From Sensing the Risk: A Case for Integrating Citizen Sensing Into Risk Governance (p. 30), by A. Berti Suman, 2020, Open Press TiU (https://doi.org/10.26116/openpresstiu-suman-05-2020). CC BY NC ND.

Figure note template

Note. Explanations to supplement or clarify information in the image. From [or: Adapted from] Title of Webpage, by First Initial. Second Initial. Author Surname [or: Group Author], year, Site Name [omit if same as Group Author] (URL). Copyright year by Name of Copyright Holder. [or: In the public domain. or: Creative Commons license abbreviation.]

• Figure, adapted from a webpage with a Creative Commons license

Figure 5

A Man Looking out of a Window

Note. Picture card presented to the test group in Experiment 1. Original colors changed to black and white. Adapted from The Institution, by A. Zamir, 2010, Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/aviart/5130641864/). CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

• Figure from a webpage in the public domain

Figure 6

Means of Transportation to Work: Public Transportation

Commuters 16 years and Over

Note. Total may not sum up to 100% due to rounding. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs/>. Source: 2019 American Community Survey, 1-year estimates. From Means of Transportation to Work, U.S. Census Bureau, 2021 (https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2021/comm/
transportation-to-work.html). In the public domain.