Quick Tips on Writing Titles for Tables and Figures in Scientific Papers

Tables and figures are commonly used in research papers to supplement text. The Method and Results sections are most likely to have these display items to inform readers of the experimental setup and summarized findings. This post looks at how titles of tables and figures (although with figures it is customary to refer to titles as captions) can be framed and also highlight some formatting aspects. 

Titles: Complete Sentences vs Sentence Fragments

How to Style and Format Table/Figure Titles

Citing Tables/Figures from Other Research Papers

Tips to Write Effective Titles for Tables/Figures

Titles: Complete Sentences vs Sentence Fragments

Phrase the title as complete and declarative sentences that capture the essence of the information presented in the table/figure when including them in reports and presentations. You can use sentence fragments that indicate their scope if they are part of a research paper. 

Examples for titles as complete sentences:

Table 2 Measurements of wind speed are subject to wide uncertainties. 

Table 4 European countries have stringent regulations governing noise pollution. 

Examples for titles sentence fragments:

Table 2 Range of uncertainty in measured wind speeds  

Table 4 Regulations Concerning Noise Pollution in Europe 

How to Style and Format Table/Figure Titles

The formatting of table and figure titles varies for different style guides. Styles guides like APA and MLA provide detailed formatting instructions. But if you’re submitting a research paper to a journal, the journal-specified formatting requirements ALWAYS take precedence over style guide instructions. 

APA Style Title Format

In APA, the table/figure number is left-aligned, written in bold above the title. The title is double line spaced after the table/figure number; write it in title case and italicize. DO NOT use a period after the title. 

Example: 

Table 1 

This is a Table Title 

OR 

Figure 1 

This is a Figure Title 

MLA Style Title Format

The MLA style for table titles is similar to that of APA: flush left on separate lines above the table. Use title case but the title need not be double spaced, italicized, or bold. 

Example: 

Table 1
This is a Table Title 

For figure titles, MLA recommends placing them below the figures and abbreviating the label to “Fig.” followed by the number. A period can be used after the figure caption. 

Example: 

Fig. 1. This is a Figure Title. 

Citing Tables/Figures from Other Research Papers

Sometimes, you may have to refer to tables or illustrations from previously published papers (including your own). But you should be aware two main guidelines for this: 

1. Tables/figures taken from other sources should belisted under references. 

2. In the main text, add a note below the table/figure clarifying that copyright was obtained from the original owner. 

It is best to refer to journal guidelines on how this should be presented in your paper. In general, however, the display item along with the original title should be placed close to its first mention in the main text. Then, below the table/figure, add a note. This note should basically provide enough information for readers to refer to the original source if needed. 

Here are a few ways to write this note: 

Note. Reprinted from “Article Title,” by Author name, Year, Journal Title, Volume (issue), page number. Copyright (year) by title of publisher. 

OR 

Note. Reprinted from Book Title (p. xx), by Author name, Year, Place of Publication: Publisher. Copyright (year) by title of publisher. 

Tips to Write Effective Titles for Tables/Figures

It’s good to be aware of when tables and figures should be used in research papers. But since we are focusing on titles, here are a few general guidelines on writing effective table titles and figure captions: 

• Give sufficient information for readers to understand what the table/figure represents. Regardless of whether you use complete sentences or sentence fragments, make sure that it’s enough to describe the content of the table/figure clearly. 
• Pay attention to journal guidelines on the character limit or word count limit for titles. Not all journals specify them; but if they do, ensure that the limit is not exceeded. 
• Use clear, legible font type and size, preferably journal-specified ones. If it is not explicitly mentioned, use standard Serif or Sans Serif fonts like Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, etc. 
• Always number the display items sequentially but separately (e.g., Table 1, Table 2…. and Figure 1, Figure 2…). If there are two tables and the remaining are figures, do not label it as Figure 3 after Table 2. 

Tables and illustrations form a critical part of research presentation. When you have your data and findings ready but are unsure of how to present them effectively, seek professional artwork preparation assistance to get high-quality illustrations that align with your research. 

Originally published on July 3, 2015. Revised on April 13, 2026