APA format for Tables and Figures

• A table concisely presents information (often numbers) in rows and columns. A figure is any other image or illustration you include in your text—anything from a bar chart to a photograph.
• Tables and figures differ in terms of how they convey information, but APA Style presents them in a similar format—preceded by a number and title, and followed by explanatory notes (if necessary).

APA table format

Tables will vary in size and structure depending on the data you’re presenting, but APA gives some general guidelines for their design. To correctly format an APA table, follow these rules:

• Table number in bold above the table.
• Brief title, in italics and title case, below the table number.
• No vertical lines.
• Horizontal lines only where necessary for clarity.
• Clear, concise labels for column and row headings.
• Numbers consistently formatted (e.g. with the same number of decimal places).
• Any relevant notes below the table.

An example of a table formatted according to APA guidelines is shown below.

Table 2

Table formatted according to APA 7th edition guidelines

Note. Retrieved and adapted from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/tables-and-figures.

APA figure format

Any images used within your text are called figures. Figures include data visualization graphics—e.g. graphs, diagrams, flowcharts—as well as things like photographs and artworks.

To correctly format an APA figure, follow these rules:

• Figure number in bold above the figure.
• Brief title, in italics and title case, under the figure number.
• If necessary, clear labels and legends integrated into the image.
• Any relevant notes below the figure.

An example of a figure formatted according to APA guidelines is shown below.

 Figure 1

Figure formatted according to APA 7th edition guidelines

Note. Retrieved and adapted from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/tables-and-figures.

 

Reference List Guidelines (APA 7th ed.)

1. General principles

• Include only sources that are cited in the text.
• Title the section as References, using bold and center alignment.
• Arrange all entries alphabetically by the surname of the first author.
• Use a hanging indent of 1.27 cm.
• Double-space the entire reference list.
• Use sentence case for the titles of articles and books.
• Use italics for journal titles, book titles, and volume numbers.
• Provide the DOI in URL format when available (e.g., https://doi.org/...).
• Do not include retrieval dates unless the content is designed to change over time.

 

2. In-text citation basics (for consistency)

• One author: (Petkovic, 2024)
• Two authors: (Petkovic & Markovic, 2023)
• Three or more authors: (Petkovic et al., 2022)
• Direct quote: include page number → (Petkovic, 2024, p. 35)

3. Reference formats and examples

3.1 Journal article (with DOI)

Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article. Journal Title, Volume (Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx.

Example

Radicic, D., & Petković, S. (2023). Impact of digitalization on technological innovations in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Technological Forecasting and Social Changes, 191, 122474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122474.

3.2 Book

Format

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the book. Publisher.

Example

Porter, M. E. (2008). On competition. Harvard Business School Publishing.

3.3 Book chapter in edited volume

Format

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Book title (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.

Example

Isenberg, D. J. (2016). Applying the ecosystem metaphor to entrepreneurship. In J. A. Katz & A. C. Corbett (Eds.), Entrepreneurial growth (pp. 35–50). Emerald Publishing.

3.4 Online report / institutional publication

Format

Organization Name. (Year). Title of report. URL

Example

World Bank. (2023). Global economic prospects. https://www.worldbank.org.

3.5 Website (individual author)

Format

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of webpage. Site Name. URL

Example

OECD. (2024, March 15). Productivity trends in Europe. OECD. https://www.oecd.org

4. Multiple works by the same author

Order chronologically (oldest → newest):

Petkovic, S. (2021). …
Petkovic, S. (2023). …

Same year:

Petkovic, S. (2023a). …
Petkovic, S. (2023b). …

5. Number of authors

• List up to 20 authors in the reference list.
• For 21+ authors: list first 19, then …, then final author.

Authorship and Accountability

All listed authors must have made significant contributions to the work in each of the following areas:

1. The conception and design of the study, the acquisition of data, or the analysis and interpretation of results.
2. Drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.
3. Providing final approval of the version to be submitted.

A corresponding author should be designated to manage communication with the journal throughout the editorial process. All authors must agree to be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the entire work, ensuring that any questions regarding its content are appropriately addressed and resolved.

Changes to Authorship

Authors are expected to carefully consider the authorship list and order prior to submitting a manuscript and to provide a definitive list of all authors at the time of submission. All authors must be listed on the manuscript, and their details must be entered accurately in the submission system. Changes to authorship—including the addition, removal, or rearrangement of author names—are generally not permitted after submission, except in exceptional circumstances and only with the approval of the journal editor.

The corresponding author must submit requests for authorship changes and must include:

• A clear explanation of the reason for the requested change.
• Written confirmation from all authors, including any added or removed, agreeing to the proposed change.

All requests must be submitted using the journal’s official authorship change form. Requests that do not comply with the form’s instructions will not be considered.

In exceptional cases, authorship changes after acceptance may be considered at the editor’s discretion. While such requests are under review, the publication of the manuscript may be temporarily paused. If a post-publication authorship change is approved, a corrigendum will be issued. Any unauthorized changes to authorship may result in manuscript rejection or retraction if the article has already been published.

Data Integrity and Ethical Compliance

Authors are responsible for the accuracy, transparency, and reliability of the research reported. Data must be presented honestly, and authors should retain primary data and provide access upon reasonable request. Research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data must comply with applicable ethical and legal standards, and required approvals must be obtained prior to submission.

Author Statements

By submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Contemporary Economics (JCE), each author confirms that they have reviewed and complied with the relevant Instructions to Authors and the journal’s defined Authors’ Responsibilities. Authors acknowledge awareness of the publisher’s retraction policy.

All individuals who meet the criteria for authorship are listed as authors. Each author certifies that they have contributed sufficiently to the work to take public responsibility for its content, including involvement in the study’s conceptualization, design, analysis, writing, or revision. Authors also confirm that the manuscript, or closely related material, has not been and will not be submitted to or published in any other journal prior to its appearance in JCE.

CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy)

JCE encourages the use of CRediT to describe each author's individual contributions accurately. Introduced following a 2012 collaborative initiative led by Harvard University and the Wellcome Trust, with input from the ICMJE, researchers, and publishers, including Cell Press, CRediT aims to:

• Recognize individual author contributions
• Reduce authorship disputes
• Facilitate collaboration

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that the contributions listed are accurate and agreed upon by all authors. Authors may have multiple roles, which should be listed using the CRediT taxonomy categories. Use of CRediT does not change the journal’s criteria for authorship.

 Example of a CRediT author statement:

• Author 1: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Visualization.
• Author 2: Conceptualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.