Chart or Graph Citation in APA, MLA, Chicago and Harvard
Style rules checked October 23, 2026 · Next check by January 21, 2027 · AI-assisted source and citation checks; not human review
The short answer: To cite this chart or graph in APA 7, list the source author, source year, title of the containing work, source type and identifier, publisher and DOI or URL, in that order. Every citation below comes from a real citation engine, in APA Style 7th edition, MLA Handbook 9th edition, Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (notes and bibliography) and Cite Them Right 12th edition (author-date/Harvard).
Examples in every style
Real chart source: Census income report
The Census page identifies the authors, September 10,2024, report P60-282 and Figure 1, Median Household Income and Percent Change by Selected Characteristics. The generated entry cites the report containing the figure, not an invented separate chart publication.
| Style | Form | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| APA | Reference list entry | Guzman, G., & Kollar, M. (2024). Income in the United States: 2023 (P60-282). U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-282.html |
| APA | In text | (Guzman & Kollar, 2024) |
| APA | In text, narrative | Guzman and Kollar (2024) |
| MLA | Reference list entry | Guzman, Gloria, and Melissa Kollar. Income in the United States: 2023. P60-282, U.S. Census Bureau, 10 Sept. 2024, www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-282.html. |
| MLA | In text | (Guzman and Kollar) |
| MLA | In text, narrative | Guzman and Kollar |
| Chicago | Bibliography entry | Guzman, Gloria, and Melissa Kollar. Income in the United States: 2023. P60-282. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-282.html. |
| Chicago | First note | Gloria Guzman and Melissa Kollar, Income in the United States: 2023, P60-282 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024), https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-282.html. |
| Chicago | Short note | Guzman and Kollar, Income in the United States: 2023. |
| Harvard | Reference list entry | Guzman, G. and Kollar, M. (2024) Income in the United States: 2023. P60-282. U.S. Census Bureau. Available at: https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-282.html. |
| Harvard | In text | (Guzman and Kollar, 2024) |
| Harvard | In text, narrative | Guzman and Kollar (2024) |
Synthetic chart within a report
Illustrative report metadata only: the figure is part of a named report, not a new publication authored by the person taking its screenshot. The source details in this example are made up to show the format.
| Style | Form | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| APA | Reference list entry | Chen, M. (2025). Commuter study spaces: Annual survey report. Example Research Office. |
| APA | In text | (Chen, 2025) |
| APA | In text, narrative | Chen (2025) |
| MLA | Reference list entry | Chen, Maya. Commuter Study Spaces: Annual Survey Report. Example Research Office, 2025. |
| MLA | In text | (Chen) |
| MLA | In text, narrative | Chen |
| Chicago | Bibliography entry | Chen, Maya. Commuter Study Spaces: Annual Survey Report. Example Research Office, 2025. |
| Chicago | First note | Maya Chen, Commuter Study Spaces: Annual Survey Report (Example Research Office, 2025). |
| Chicago | Short note | Chen, Commuter Study Spaces: Annual Survey Report. |
| Harvard | Reference list entry | Chen, M. (2025) Commuter study spaces: Annual survey report. Example Research Office. |
| Harvard | In text | (Chen, 2025) |
| Harvard | In text, narrative | Chen (2025) |
How the styles differ for this source
| Style | Order of elements | What is different | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| APA Style 7th edition | source author, then source year, then title of the containing work, then source type and identifier, then publisher, then DOI or URL | APA treats charts as figures; a reference identifies the source while a figure note may provide separate explanation and copyright attribution. | Style guide |
| MLA Handbook 9th edition | source author, then title of chart or containing work, then container when applicable, then publisher, then date, then location | MLA distinguishes the visual object from its container and labels illustrative graphs or charts as figures. | Style guide |
| Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (notes and bibliography) | source author, then title of containing work, then publisher, then date, then page or figure locator in note | Chicago's current Q&A advises describing an image found in a book and citing that book or relevant chapter with a locator. | Style guide |
| Cite Them Right 12th edition (author-date/Harvard) | source creator, then year, then containing source title, then publication details, then DOI or URL, then access date when required | The Harvard output is pinned Cite Them Right 12th; RGU's public guidance distinguishes website figures from images in books and articles. | Style guide |
Edge cases
- You reproduce a chart from a report. Identify the containing report and keep the figure number in your working notes. Chicago's current Q&A describes citing a containing work rather than treating its image as an unrelated publication. Style guide. Applies to Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (notes and bibliography).
- You need an APA figure caption. A figure's number, title and note are distinct components. This source-type guide does not replace the separate figure-layout rules or a source-specific copyright attribution. Style guide. Applies to APA Style 7th edition.
- You drew a new chart from someone else's data. Distinguish the underlying data from the new visual treatment. RGU's Harvard guidance differentiates images taken from websites and those from other publications; identify the actual source consulted rather than inventing a separate creator. Style guide. Applies to Cite Them Right 12th edition (author-date/Harvard).
- You changed the original chart. For adapted-figure details, use the site's existing adapted-figure guide rather than treating this reproduced-chart page as a new adaptation rule. APA describes notes as a place for necessary explanatory or copyright information. Style guide. Applies to APA Style 7th edition.
Common mistakes
Crediting yourself as the author of a screenshot of a report's chart
Taking the screenshot does not change who created the underlying report.
Not this: Your name substituted for Guzman and Kollar
Do this (APA Style 7th edition, reference list entry): Guzman, G., & Kollar, M. (2024). Income in the United States: 2023 (P60-282). U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-282.html
Treating the figure number as a report number
The source explicitly distinguishes Figure 1 from report P60-282.
Not this: Figure 1 entered as the publication's report number
Do this (Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (notes and bibliography), reference list entry): Guzman, Gloria, and Melissa Kollar. Income in the United States: 2023. P60-282. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-282.html.
Giving only the chart's topic with no source
A generic label such as household income does not identify the actual containing report.
Not this: Household income listed without source metadata
Do this (MLA Handbook 9th edition, reference list entry): Guzman, Gloria, and Melissa Kollar. Income in the United States: 2023. P60-282, U.S. Census Bureau, 10 Sept. 2024, www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-282.html.
Check before you cite
- Identify whether the chart is standalone or inside a report/article/book.
- Record the containing source's author, title and publication date.
- Keep its actual page and figure identifiers separate from report numbers.
- Record whether you copied, cropped, annotated or redrew the image.
- Check the original rights information before reproducing the visual.
Is this the right source type?
Decide whether you are citing a chart as an independent work or pointing readers to a figure inside another source. A screenshot does not turn a report's figure into a publication of your own. The real example uses the Census Bureau's Income in the United States:2023 because its publication page explicitly identifies both the report and its figures. Its report identifier is P60-282; Figure 1 is a locator inside that source, not a second report number. Record both in your notes so the reference and the surrounding explanation do different jobs. This page focuses on identifying the source of a reproduced chart. If you redraw or adapt a figure, keep the link to the existing adapted-figure guide and explain the change instead of silently describing the result as an exact reproduction. Formatting a reference also does not establish permission to reuse an image. Open the original rights information and preserve any required credit. The citation examples identify sources only; they do not reproduce the Census figure, make a new statistical finding or provide a completed copyright-credit line.
Frequently asked questions
First identify what you consulted. For a figure within a report, the containing report is the source; a page or figure locator helps readers find the particular visual.
No. The checked source identifies report P60-282 and separately lists Figure 1. They serve different purposes.
Not by itself. Check the original source's rights information and any required attribution. Citation and permission are separate questions.
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