Tables

You may need to consult more than one section to accurately represent the source used (eg. number of authors and source descriptions)

Format for in-text citation

In-text citation

An in-text citation is not used. A note underneath the table is used instead.

Referring to tables in-text

As shown in Table 5...

OR

Please refer to Table 4 for ...


Format for reference list

Elements, punctuation & capitalisation


Include a reference for the original source of the table (see book, book chapter, journal article, report , website, etc.)

Make sure to look at the style notes

Multiple sources

If you create your own table by compiling data from multiple sources, cite each source in the table note.

Table note from journal article

Table No.
Title of table.
image of a data table
Note. From/Adapted from "Title of Journal Article" by A. A. Author, Year, Title of Journal, Volume, p. xx. Copyright Year by Name of Copyright Holder.

Table note from book

Table No.
Title of table.
image of a data table
Note. From/Adapted from Book Title (p. xx) by A. A. Author, Year, Publisher. Copyright Year by Name of Copyright Holder.

Table note from website

Table No.
Title of table.
image of a data table
Note. From/Adapted from Title by A. A. Author. URL. Copyright Year by Name of Copyright Holder.

Table note from multiple sources

Table No.
Title of table.
image of a data table
Note. Data for … from Author (Year), for … from Author (Year), and for … from Author (Year).

Table note in a work to be published

Table No.
Title of table.
image of a data table
Note. From/Adapted from Title by A. A. Author, Year, Publisher. Copyright Year by Name of Copyright Holder. Reprinted [or Adapted] with permission.

Example - reproduced table

Table 1
Contributions of to Year-end Growth in State Leading Indexes
reproduced table with data
Note. From Monthly bulletin of economic trends: Economic activity in the major states by Melbourne Institute,  https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/3125470/STATE_MBET_July2019.pdf. Copyright 2019 by Melbourne Institute.

Example - table created with data from multiple sources

Table 2
Melbourne traffic
Table with data from multiple sources
Note. Data for CBD traffic from City of Melbourne (2018), and for commuting distance from ABS (2018).


Style notes for this reference type

    • APA 7 Publication Manual, p.194–224.
    • Definition
      Tables are defined as numerical values or textual information arranged in an orderly display of columns and rows. Any other type of illustration is a figure.
    • Table numbers
      Tables should be numbered in the order in which they appear in the text e.g., Table 1, Table 2. In the text, refer to tables by their number (“as shown in table 3”) as opposed to general references (“as shown in the table below”).
    • In-text citation
      There is no in-text citation. Instead, a note should be included the bottom of the table to acknowledge that it is from another source. The word ‘Note’ is included at the start in italics.
    • Adapted vs reprinted
      If you make any changes to the tables (additions, reformatting) include the words 'Adapted from' in the note. If you copy the table without changes use 'From'.
      Source: APA Style blog.
    • Copyright
      If the table is in a work that will be published, you must seek permission from the copyright holder. This permission must also be included in the table note using the words, ‘Reprinted [or Adapted] with permission.’ Examples of published works:
      • Thesis in University of Melbourne repository
      • Journal article
      • News item on website

      In university coursework, you generally do not need to ask the author for permission, contact the Copyright Office if you are unsure.

      Source: APA Style blog.


Explore resources to help with reference management and enable you to effectively integrate and cite sources into your writing and assessment tasks.


View Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Access all referencing FAQs Access further help