Your committee wants an evidence table and a logic model in the project, and your draft has spreadsheet gridlines, bold titles and no notes. Every table and figure needs the same few APA 7 moves. This guide gives the table layout first, then shows how to build evidence tables and logic models and how to number, note and cite them.
| Element | APA 7 treatment |
|---|---|
| Number | Bold, on its own line above the table, flush left: Table 1 |
| Title | Italic Title Case on the line below the number, brief but specific |
| Column headings | Every column gets a heading, in bold; add units in the heading, not in each cell |
| Lines | Horizontal rules at the top, under the headings and at the bottom; leave out vertical lines and avoid extra shading |
| Spacing | Single, 1.5 or double spacing inside the table, whichever reads best, applied consistently |
| Notes | Below the table, in the order general, specific, probability |
About the examples. All numbers, authors and titles in this guide are invented for illustration, and the sources named are fictional. Build your own tables and figures from your project data and your program's template, which takes priority where it differs from the APA manual.
Use a table when readers need exact values or side-by-side comparison: study characteristics, baseline and post-implementation outcomes, or an appraisal of the evidence. Use a figure when the point is a relationship, a process or a trend: a logic model, a participant flow diagram, or a run chart. Each visual should say something the paragraph around it cannot say as efficiently. If a table only repeats the sentence above it, cut one of them.
Notes sit under the visual and start with an italic Note. They come in up to three kinds, always in this order.
When you adapt or reproduce a visual from another source, say so in the general note ("Adapted from" or "From"), list the source in your reference list, and secure permission when the copyright holder requires it. Ask your library or chair if you are unsure.
Ask for evidence tables, outcome tables and figures built to APA 7 and your template. You see the price before you pay, and revisions are free for 14 days after delivery.
An evidence table condenses the studies behind your project into one scannable page. It differs from a working synthesis matrix: the matrix is a tool for you, while the evidence table is the polished version your readers see. A common column set:
| Column | What to record |
|---|---|
| Author and year | Cited as in the text, so it matches the reference list |
| Design and level of evidence | Study design plus the rating from your chosen framework, such as the seven-level hierarchy in Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (2019) |
| Sample and setting | Sample size, population and care setting |
| Intervention and comparison | What was tested and against what |
| Outcomes and measures | Outcomes studied and the tools used |
| Key findings | Results, with effect sizes or confidence intervals where reported |
| Strengths and limitations | A short appraisal |
Every study named in the table needs a reference entry. A long table often belongs in an appendix, labeled Table A1, with the main text summarizing what it shows. The literature synthesis guide explains how to move from the table to the argument.
A logic model lays out how a project is expected to work: inputs, activities, outputs, and short-, medium- and long-term outcomes, often with assumptions and context. In APA, it is a figure, so it takes the number and title above and a note below.
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Pasting a spreadsheet with gridlines and colored cells | Rebuild it with only the horizontal rules APA uses |
| Title in bold, or in sentence case | Italic Title Case; only the number is bold |
| Table never mentioned in the text | Introduce it by number and state its point |
| Abbreviations left undefined | Define each in the general note |
| Adapted logic model with no credit | Add "Adapted from" plus the source, and list it in the references |
Academic integrity. Credit the origin of every table, figure and dataset you present, and keep to your institution's academic-integrity rules. The APA Style website has the official examples.
Yes. APA 7 allows single, 1.5 or double spacing in tables. Choose whichever is most readable and use it for every table in the paper.
Crediting the source is always required. Permission depends on the copyright terms and on your program's rules, so check with your library or chair before reproducing a figure. Redrawing a concept in your own design still needs an "Adapted from" credit.
A short table that supports a key point can sit in the body. A long table with many studies usually goes in an appendix, with a summary in the text. Your program's template decides.
You can build it there, but paste it into your document and restyle it to APA rules before you submit.