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APA 6 Figure / Chart / Graph Citation Generator

Citing a figure / chart / graph (visual data representation (chart, graph, or diagram)) under the American Psychological Association (6th Edition) framework requires combining APA 6 (American Psychological Association)'s punctuation hierarchy with the specific metadata of the source. To construct a compliant entry, researchers must collect the creator of the figure, year, figure title or caption, the source container (journal article, book, or website) where it appeared, page/figure number, and URL/DOI. In the body of your paper, APA 6 (American Psychological Association) utilizes author-date parentheticals (Author, Year, p. X) listing up to 5 authors on first mention before using et al., which links directly to an entry organized in alphabetical order by the first author surname, then chronological by publication year.

When formatting a figure / chart / graph in APA 6 (American Psychological Association), pay close attention to contributor names and capitalization. Specifically, APA 6 (American Psychological Association) enforces surname and initials separated by commas with an ampersand (&) before the final author (up to 7 authors listed in the reference list), and applies sentence case for work titles where only the first word, first word after a colon, and proper nouns are capitalized. Unlike APA 7, APA 6th edition requires the publisher city and state/country abbreviation (e.g., New York, NY: Publisher) for print books and retains "Retrieved from" before standard URLs. Furthermore, if your figure / chart / graph does not display an individual creator, the rule is straightforward: attribute the figure to the authors of the overarching article or report in which the chart or graph was published.

For digital and online figure / chart / graph references, APA 6 (American Psychological Association) stipulates prefacing online links with the phrase "Retrieved from" and using the legacy "doi:10.xxxx" or http://dx.doi.org/ format. If you reproduce a chart or graph directly in your paper, most styles require a copyright attribution note underneath the figure in addition to a bibliography entry. Using the client-side APA 6 (American Psychological Association) Figure / Chart / Graph generator below, you can automatically parse URLs, DOIs, or ISBNs and apply these exact Citation Style Language (CSL) rules locally in your browser with zero server tracking.

Live APA 6 (American Psychological Association) Example

Birol, F. (2025). Global Renewable Energy Capacity Growth by Technology (2015–2025). International Energy Agency. https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/renewable-capacity-growth

Critical Errors to Avoid

  • Source-Specific Pitfall: Citing a figure as a standalone image when it was actually extracted from a peer-reviewed journal article—always cite the host article or provide a full copyright attribution note.
  • Title & Author Formatting: Failing to apply APA 6 (American Psychological Association)'s requirement of sentence case for work titles where only the first word, first word after a colon, and proper nouns are capitalized, or violating the contributor rule (surname and initials separated by commas with an ampersand (&) before the final author (up to 7 authors listed in the reference list)).
  • Locator & Sorting Mismatch: Ordering the bibliography incorrectly instead of using alphabetical order by the first author surname, then chronological by publication year, or neglecting APA 6 (American Psychological Association)'s link rule for a figure / chart / graph (prefacing online links with the phrase "Retrieved from" and using the legacy "doi:10.xxxx" or http://dx.doi.org/ format).
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Frequently Asked Questions

What information do I need to cite a figure / chart / graph in APA 6 (American Psychological Association)?

To cite a figure / chart / graph according to American Psychological Association (6th Edition) standards, you need the creator of the figure, year, figure title or caption, the source container (journal article, book, or website) where it appeared, page/figure number, and URL/DOI. Our generator formats these elements using sentence case for work titles where only the first word, first word after a colon, and proper nouns are capitalized.

How do I cite a figure / chart / graph with no author in APA 6 (American Psychological Association)?

When a figure / chart / graph has no named individual author, attribute the figure to the authors of the overarching article or report in which the chart or graph was published. The APA 6 (American Psychological Association) engine automatically adjusts both the full reference entry and the in-text citation (author-date parentheticals (Author, Year, p. X) listing up to 5 authors on first mention before using et al.) when the author field is left blank.

How are in-text citations formatted for a figure / chart / graph in APA 6 (American Psychological Association)?

In APA 6 (American Psychological Association), in-text references use author-date parentheticals (Author, Year, p. X) listing up to 5 authors on first mention before using et al.. In the final reference list, your figure / chart / graph entries must be arranged in alphabetical order by the first author surname, then chronological by publication year.

Do I need to include a URL or access date for an online figure / chart / graph in APA 6 (American Psychological Association)?

Under American Psychological Association (6th Edition) guidelines, online figure / chart / graph citations follow prefacing online links with the phrase "Retrieved from" and using the legacy "doi:10.xxxx" or http://dx.doi.org/ format. If you reproduce a chart or graph directly in your paper, most styles require a copyright attribution note underneath the figure in addition to a bibliography entry.