How to Format Figures

How to Format Figures

Figures must be able to stand alone. In other words, the purpose of each figure should be readily apparent without having to read the text, including understanding acronyms. The standards for good figures are simplicity, continuity, and information value. Figures should augment (not duplicate) information included in the text, be easy to read, be easy to understand, and be consistent with the style of the paper.

All figures must include:

·  Simple and legible font. Regarding figures created by the student, font size and style should be consistent with the font used in the paper (e.g., Times New Roman, size 12). If the figure is reproduced from another source, please note this when you submit your final dissertation to UMI/ProQuest. If copyrighted material is used, a citation must be included below the figure.

·  Clearly labeled magnitude, scale, and direction of grid elements.

·  Clearly labeled all axes.

·  Explanations or labels for all elements within the figure.

Figure Formatting

The caption beneath the figure serves as the explanation and title. Therefore, do not include a title above the figure. The caption should be a concise, descriptive phase such as:

Caption formatting should include “Figure X” in italics, followed by a period and the brief explanation. Figures must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals (Figure 1, Figure 2). Within the table of contents, you may include only the first sentence or the entire caption. You must use either consistently for all figures within the table of contents.

A figure should also contain a legend explaining the symbols used in the figure. Legends should have the same type and size of font that appear in the rest of the figure. Major words in the figure should be capitalized. For example:

Notes about Figures

·  Include a double space before and after all figures within the text.

·  All figures must be referenced in the text, and incorporated into the text as soon as possible after they are mentioned.

·  It is permissible to split a paragraph with a figure to avoid excessive white space. Figures that take up most of the page, however, must be placed on a separate page.

·  Figures that take up more than one page must include the headings, complete title, and (continued) or (cont.).

·  All figures must meet the same margin requirements as text (i.e., 1 inch margins). However, small figures may be centered if meeting the right or left margin requirements would distort or stretch the image.

·  Make sure that the symbols, abbreviations, and terminology in the caption and legend agree with the symbols, abbreviations, and terminology used in the figure, other figures within the text, and the text itself.

·  The graphic must be large enough for its elements to be discernible, and should not be distorted or difficult to read.

See sections 5.20 – 5.30 (pp. 150 – 167) of the 6th Edition APA Style Guide Manual and pp. 9 – 10 of the 2012 UWF Thesis & Dissertation Guide for more information.

If you have any questions not answered by this or other guides available at http://www.uwf.edu/dsc please contact the Doctoral Support Center Staff by phone at 850-474-2798 or through email at .