AMA Format: Tables and Figures

AMA style is the format used by the American Medical Association. It is used for scholarly papers in health sciences.

A table presents information, usually numeric, in columns and rows. Place the table as close as possible to its first mention in the paper and set it off from the text using horizontal rules, boxes, or white space.

A table consists of the following elements:

• Title: The title appears above the table, aligned with the left margin, and includes the table number and a brief descriptive name. Number tables consecutively in the order in which they appear in the paper. Use bold type for the table number. Use regular type and headline style capitalization for the name, as shown below:

Table 1. Complications Following Heart Surgery by Age Group

• Column Headings: Separate the main categories of information into columns. Use bold type and sentence style capitalization for the headings.
• Stubs/Row Headings: Use regular type and sentence style capitalization for row headings.
• Body. The body of the table may consist of numerals, text, and/or symbols. Use regular type and sentence style capitalization in the body of the table.
• Footnotes. Use footnotes to provide additional information about the entire table or any portion of the table.
  • For a footnote pertaining to the entire table, place a superscript lowercase letter “a” at the end of the title.
  • For footnotes pertaining to specific portions of the table, place superscript lowercase letters (using alphabetical order) after the appropriate item in the table.  
  • List the footnotes in alphabetical order below the table, aligned with left margin, using regular type. Begin each footnote on a new line and end each footnote with a period.
  • Explanatory footnotes should be written in complete sentences.
  • Footnotes citing the sources of information used in the table need not be written in full sentences but should be followed by the appropriate superscript numeral referencing the source.

A figure presents information graphically. Figures include statistical graphs and charts, maps, and other images. (Note: AMA style does not use pie charts.) Figures should include titles and legends.

• The title appears above the figure, is aligned with the left margin, and includes the number in bold type and a brief identifying clause or phrase, written in regular type, using headline style capitalization.

Figure 1. Symptoms of COVID-19 Variants in 2020, 2021, and 2022

• The legend or caption appears below or next to the figure. It should be written in sentence format using regular type and should provide enough information to enable to reader to understand the figure without referring to the text.
• The legend should include a superscript number corresponding to the appropriate source in the references list for pictures, charts, graphs, etc. reproduced in your paper or to cite the source of information used to create a figure:

Data are from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.⁶