Why Tables and Figures Need Their Own Citation Treatment
When Malaysian postgraduate students learn APA citation, the focus is almost always on in-text citations within prose paragraphs and reference list formatting. Citations in tables and figures receive far less attention in most APA workshops and guidebooks, which creates a predictable set of errors in thesis submissions. The rules for handling citations in tables and figures in APA are specific and differ meaningfully from the rules for prose citations — understanding them ensures that every visual element in your thesis is appropriately attributed and formatted.
Tables and figures can be sourced in three ways that each require different citation treatment. You may have created the table or figure entirely from your own data — in which case no external citation is needed. You may have reproduced a table or figure exactly from another published source — in which case a specific copyright attribution note is required. Or you may have adapted a table or figure from another source — modifying it for your own purposes — in which case a modified attribution note is needed. Each case has its own format in APA 7th.
Original Tables and Figures: No Attribution Needed
When a table or figure presents data you collected yourself and analysis you conducted yourself, no external citation is needed in the note below the table or figure. The source is your own research, and this is clear from the context. You do not need to write “Note. Created by the researcher” or “Note. Author’s own data” — APA 7th does not require these statements for original work, and including them adds clutter without adding information.
However, if you cite a statistical method, instrument, or analytical framework used to produce the table or figure, cite that in the caption or in the surrounding text using standard in-text citation format. “Table 4 presents the structural equation model results, using the two-stage approach recommended by Anderson and Gerbing (1988)” cites the methodological source in the descriptive text introducing the table — this is the correct location for this type of attribution, not in the table’s note section.
Reproduced Tables and Figures: Full Copyright Attribution
When you reproduce a table or figure exactly as it appears in another published source — taking it directly from a journal article, book, or report without any modification — APA 7th requires a formal copyright attribution note below the table or figure. The format depends on whether you are reprinting (exact reproduction) or adapting (modified reproduction).
For reprinted content, the note reads: Note. From [Title of Work] (p. XX), by A. A. Author, Year, Publisher. Copyright Year by Name of Copyright Holder. Reprinted with permission.
Example: Note. From “Factors affecting postgraduate completion rates in Malaysia” (p. 45), by M. A. Ali, 2022, Malaysian Journal of Educational Research. Copyright 2022 by Malaysian Journal of Educational Research. Reprinted with permission.
The words “Reprinted with permission” are important — they signal that you have obtained permission from the copyright holder. For published journal articles in most Malaysian research contexts, this typically means contacting the publisher or using open-access material where permission is already granted by the licence terms. Include the permission statement only if you have genuinely obtained permission, and keep the permission correspondence for your records.
Adapted Tables and Figures: Modified Attribution
When you take a table or figure from another source and modify it — adding columns, removing rows, translating it, updating the data, or combining it with additional information — this is an adaptation rather than a reproduction, and the attribution note is slightly different. The format uses “Adapted from” rather than “From” and “Adapted with permission” rather than “Reprinted with permission.”
Note. Adapted from “Factors affecting postgraduate completion rates in Malaysia” (p. 45), by M. A. Ali, 2022, Malaysian Journal of Educational Research. Copyright 2022 by Malaysian Journal of Educational Research. Adapted with permission.
For Malaysian students adapting tables from freely available government reports, many of which are not under traditional copyright or are released under open government data licences, check the specific terms of the licence before including a “Adapted with permission” statement. Some government portals explicitly state that their data may be used freely with attribution, in which case the note should reflect the specific terms of the licence rather than implying formal permission was sought and granted.
In-Text Citations for Tables and Figures From Published Sources
When you reproduce or adapt a table or figure from another source, you also need a standard in-text citation in the text that introduces the table or figure. “Table 3, reproduced from Ali (2022), shows the distribution of postgraduate completion outcomes…” Both the in-text citation and the note below the table are required — they serve different purposes. The in-text citation connects the visual element to the prose argument of your chapter. The note below the table provides the formal copyright attribution information for the visual element itself.
Checking citations in tables and figures in APA during your proofreading pass means reviewing every table and figure in your thesis and asking: is this original, reproduced, or adapted? Does each reproduced or adapted element have the correct attribution note format? Is the “with permission” statement accurate — have you actually obtained permission? Is there also an in-text citation for reproduced or adapted visual elements? These checks ensure that your visual elements meet the same citation standards as your prose references, and that every source contributing to your thesis — including sources whose content appears in visual form — is properly acknowledged.
