Case Study

Based on APA formatting rules, explain the errors the student made in placing and formatting their table and figure.

Case context: A student is formatting the final draft of their psychology research paper. They decide to insert a small table showing descriptive statistics right after the paragraph where the results are discussed. To save paper, they also place a graph of their findings on the bottom half of the same page.

Question: Based on APA formatting rules, explain the errors the student made in placing and formatting their table and figure.

Sample answer: The student made two primary formatting errors. First, tables and figures should not be embedded directly within the text paragraphs; they belong at the very end of the document after the references and appendices. Second, the student put both a table and a figure on the same page, but APA rules require each individual table and figure to appear on its own separate page.

Key points:

  • Embedding tables and figures within text paragraphs violates APA style.
  • Tables and figures must be placed at the end of the manuscript after references and appendices.
  • Combining a table and a figure on the exact same page is incorrect.
  • Each individual visual element requires a separate, dedicated page.

Rubric: Full credit is awarded for identifying both errors: embedding visuals in the text instead of placing them at the end of the document, and failing to place each table and figure on its own separate page.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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KPU

Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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