AMA Style: Tables & Figures1
Modified from the American Medical Association Manual of Style, 10th ed.
For complete information on how to format tables and figures, please refer to the AMA Manual of Style, 10th ed.
WHY USE or
TABLES 1(pp81-82)
Tables and figures emphasize, explain & FIGURES
key information in your assignment
They display data by summarizing, organizing, and condensing information
Tables and figures add visual appeal to your assignment, if used properly
Tables and figures act as supplementary material, and should not duplicate
information written in-text
Did you know!
If you are using tables and figures from books and articles, they are copyright-protected. However,
fair dealing in the copyright law permits students to copy up to 10% of a work for their assignments.
Permission from copyright holder would be required otherwise. For more information, check out
Sheridan Library’s Copyright Services Guide for students:
http://sheridancollege.libguides.com/copyright
HOW TO FORMAT TABLES IN AMA STYLE1(pp82-97)
Position the table in the body of your assignment
Tables should be numbered consecutively (Example: Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, etc.)
If your assignment contains only one table, label it “Table”
Create a brief, but descriptive title
Tables occupying more than one page should be reformatted into 2 smaller tables
Tables may contain footnotes to convey information about the data
Represent footnotes with superscript lowercase letters in alphabetical order
Example: a, b, c, d)
List footnotes below the table, and place each footnote on its own line
Tables may contain superscript Arabic numerals to indicate citations
List citation footnotes in numerical order, and provide the citation in your references
Example citation footnote: bAdapted from…
Display table
number &
Use upper and
descriptive
lower case
title
letters for table
titles
List footnotes in
alphabetical
order, and write Use superscript
them in complete numerals to
sentences, or indicate citations &
short phrases cite the source in
your reference list
HOW TO FORMAT FIGURES IN AMA STYLE1(pp98-120)
Did you know!
Types of figures include graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, scatterplots, illustrations,
photographs, and much more. Consult the AMA Manual of Style as rules for each figure
type may vary, or ask your instructor if he/she has a preferred style for citing figures.
Position the figure in the body of your assignment
Figures should be numbered consecutively
Example: Figure1, Figure 2, Figure 3, etc.
If your assignment contains only one Figure, label it “Figure”
Figures should have a brief, but descriptive title
A legend or caption is displayed below, or beside the figure to describe its contents
A legend or caption is typically written in 40 words, or less
Figures may contain superscript Arabic numerals to indicate citations
List superscript citations in numerical order, and provide the full citation in your
reference list
Example citation in legend: Adapted from…8
Data from…9
Reproduced with permission from…1
Display figure
Figure 1: Map of Medical Centres in Toronto, Canada
number & title
Capitalize each
word in the
figure title
Create caption
to explain Use superscript
contents of the Arabic numerals
figure to indicate
citations in the
caption. List the
Ask your instructor if he/she has a preferred style for full citation in the
citing sources in figures. Data from Google Maps3 reference list
1Iverson C, Christiansen S, Flanagin A. AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors. 10th ed. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2007.
2Statistics Canada. Exposure to second-hand smoke at home by sex, by province and territory.
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/health96a-eng.htm. Modified May 12, 2014.
Accessed May 26, 2015.
3Google. Google Maps. https://www.google.ca/maps?hl=en&tab=wl. Accessed May 26, 2015.
