HOW TO FORMAT A TABLE IN APA STYLE

What you will learn:

• What tables are and the importance
• What does APA stand for
• Step-by-step Guide on how to format a table in the APA style format.

What are Tables and its Importance

According to Liu (2018), tables are a visual medium commonly used to present background information or research results in articles. Tables allow readers to quickly understand patterns, relationships, and key points in large or complex data sets.

Importance of Tables

1. Enhances Data Clarity:
   Tables simplify the presentation of detailed information, making it easier for readers to grasp trends, comparisons, or relationships that might be difficult to understand in textual form.
2. Saves Space and Time:
   By summarizing data visually, tables reduce the need for lengthy descriptions, saving space in the document and time for the reader.
3. Supports Analytical Comparison:
   Tables allow for side-by-side comparison of variables or groups, facilitating better analysis and interpretation of data.
4. Improves Credibility and Professionalism:
   Including well-organized tables demonstrates thoroughness and professionalism, enhancing the credibility of the research or report.
5. Highlights Key Findings:
   Tables draw attention to critical data points or results, helping readers focus on the most relevant information.

What is APA?

APA stands for the American Psychological Association, which is a professional organization representing psychologists in the United States. In the context of academic writing, APA is widely known for its APA Style, a set of guidelines for formatting research papers, citing sources, and presenting information in a consistent and professional manner.

History of APA

APA Style was created in 1929 by a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers. They aimed to develop a straightforward set of guidelines for scientific writing to make it easier to read and understand. (American Psychological Association, 2020).
So now that we know what a table is and why it is important to use the APA style of referencing, let’s go straight to how to format a table in the APA style of referencing.

Step-by-step Guide on How to Format a Table in the APA Style Format

For this demonstration, Microsoft Word 2019 will be used so it may appear slightly different from your but the steps remain the same.

First, open Microsoft and insert your table. Then place your cursor and move over to “Table Design” as shown in the image below.

Secondly, select the entire table and then move your mouse to “Borders” as shown in the image below. This tool is used to control how the borders appear. The borders are the lines that form the rows and columns of the table.

The third step is removing all the borders. Click on the “Borders”, a drop down menu should pop up. Then select “No Border” as shown in the image below. Be sure that the entire table is highlighted.

The next steps involve adding the top and bottom borders. Click on “Borders” and then click on “Bottom Border” to add the bottom border (or line) and then click on “Top Border” to add the top border (or line).

Now you should have both the top and bottom borders visible in your table. To complete the formatting, you will need to add border on the title rows, i.e. the rows that contain the headers of your table. To do this, highlight only the title rows and then click on “Borders” and in the drop down menu, click on “Bottom border” as shown in the image below

Now. you should have a table formatted in the APA style of referencing like what is shown below:

Now you can confidently format a table in the APA style! Most journals only accept this form of displaying your table.

But this is not all there is to formatting your work in APA style format, keep on the watch as we release more articles on the subject matter. In the meantime, you can read more about writing clear and concise articles here.

Also read:

Plagiarism: Meaning and how to avoid it