Practical examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples

Examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples in real papers

Let’s start with what you actually came for: concrete layouts you can model. These examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples follow the Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.), especially chapters 3 and 14, which cover visual elements and citations. I’ll show how the numbering, titles, notes, and sources work together, then talk about trends you’re likely to see in 2024–2025 academic writing.

Example of a basic Chicago-style table (humanities paper)

Imagine you’re writing a history paper comparing primary sources by decade. A clean Chicago-style table might look like this in your manuscript:

Table 1. Primary Sources by Decade and Type

Note: Counts reflect only sources cited in this study.

Source: Author’s compilation from archival materials.

This first example of a Chicago-style table highlights several standard moves:

• The table number and title appear above the table.
• The note and source appear below.
• The note explains how to read the data; the source explains where the data came from.

When instructors ask for the best examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples, they’re usually looking for this kind of clean, readable layout with a short, descriptive title and clear notes.

Example of a data-heavy table with Chicago-style notes (public health)

Now picture a public health paper using CDC data on vaccination coverage. Here’s how a more detailed table might appear:

Table 2. U.S. Childhood Vaccination Coverage, Ages 19–35 Months, 2023

Note: CI = confidence interval. Data are weighted to represent the U.S. population.

Source: Adapted from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Immunization Survey-Child, 2023, https://www.cdc.gov.

This is one of the strongest real examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples because it shows how to:

• Use abbreviations and then explain them in the note.
• Indicate that data are adapted, which Chicago encourages when you modify a published table.
• Give a concise, Chicago-style source note that still points to the original data.

If you want to double-check your handling of public health data, the CDC’s data pages at cdc.gov are a good reference for standard variable labels and terminology.

Examples of Chicago style figures in 2024–2025 research

Tables are about numbers and categories; figures are about visuals—charts, graphs, maps, photographs, and diagrams. The best examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples all share a few traits: clear numbering, descriptive titles, and transparent source notes.

Example of a Chicago-style line graph figure (economics)

Suppose you’re showing unemployment trends in a macroeconomics paper. The figure in your manuscript might be formatted like this:

Figure 1. U.S. Unemployment Rate, 2015–2024
[Line graph showing monthly U.S. unemployment rate declining from 2015 to 2019, spiking in 2020, and gradually stabilizing through 2024.]

Note: Seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate for individuals ages 16 and older.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey, accessed July 15, 2024, https://www.bls.gov.

In your actual paper, you would insert the graph itself, but the Chicago structure stays the same:

• Figure number and title go above the figure.
• Note and source go below.
• The note clarifies what the viewer is seeing (seasonally adjusted, age group, time span).

Chicago allows some flexibility, but real examples from economics journals show that this layout is widely accepted in 2024–2025.

Example of a Chicago-style map figure (geography or environmental studies)

Maps are another common figure type. Imagine a paper analyzing heat exposure in major U.S. cities, using data from the National Weather Service and the National Institutes of Health.

Figure 2. Average Summer Heat Index in Selected U.S. Cities, 2010–2020
[The figure shows a color-coded map of the United States, highlighting cities with higher average summer heat index values.]

Note: Heat index values represent June–August daily maximums averaged over 2010–2020.

Source: Author’s map based on data from National Weather Service and National Institutes of Health (NIH), Climate and Health Program, https://www.nih.gov.

This is a solid example of Chicago style figures because it demonstrates how to:

• Credit multiple data providers in a single source note.
• Clarify how the data were aggregated (daily maximums, specific months, multi-year average).
• Use a short, descriptive title that tells the reader what, where, and when.

If you’re working with medical or climate-health data, NIH’s resources at nih.gov are a reliable starting point.

Mixed examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples (qualitative + quantitative)

Most real papers don’t live in a single method. They mix numbers, text, and visuals. Here are a few blended examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples that reflect how students and researchers actually write in 2024–2025.

Example of a qualitative coding table (education research)

In an education thesis analyzing interview transcripts from teachers, you might include a coding summary table like this:

Table 3. Major Themes in Teacher Interviews on Remote Learning

Note: Themes derived from inductive coding of 22 semi-structured interviews conducted between March and June 2023.

Source: Author’s analysis.

This example of a Chicago-style table shows how to handle qualitative data:

• The table summarizes patterns; the note explains the method.
• The source note is short because the data come from your own fieldwork.

For education research design and reporting, check examples from schools of education such as Harvard Graduate School of Education to see how they present similar tables.

Example of a figure with a long explanatory note (psychology)

Psychology and social science papers often need longer figure notes to explain scales or experimental conditions. Consider a bar chart comparing anxiety scores before and after a mindfulness intervention:

Figure 3. Mean Anxiety Scores Before and After 8-Week Mindfulness Program
[Bar chart showing pre- and post-intervention mean anxiety scores for control and treatment groups.]

Note: Scores measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7). Higher scores indicate greater anxiety (range 0–21). Error bars represent ±1 standard error of the mean.

Source: Author’s analysis of study data.

This is one of the better real examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples for social science because it:

• Names the scale (GAD-7) and what it measures.
• Explains how to read the visual (higher scores = more anxiety, range, error bars).
• Keeps the source note brief but clear.

For health-related scales and measures, organizations like Mayo Clinic and MedlinePlus can help you verify terminology and definitions.

How to cite sources in Chicago-style table and figure notes

The most common question students ask after seeing examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples is: do I need a full citation in the note, or just a short one?

In Chicago Notes and Bibliography style:

• The first time you use a dataset or image, the table or figure note usually includes a full citation or something very close to it.
• Later tables and figures from the same source can use a shortened form, as long as the full version appears in the bibliography.

In Chicago Author-Date style:

• The note often includes an author-date citation, such as: “Source: CDC 2023.”
• The full reference appears in the reference list.

For example of a shortened note in author-date style:

Source: CDC 2023.

And the matching reference list entry might be:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2023. National Immunization Survey-Child, 2023. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Author-date is increasingly common in 2024–2025 for STEM fields, while humanities departments in the U.S. still favor notes and bibliography. The best examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples in current journals generally mirror the style used for text citations in that field.

Placement and numbering trends in 2024–2025

If you compare older and newer examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples, you’ll notice a few trends:

• Placement in text: Many journals now prefer tables and figures placed near the first mention in the text, rather than all grouped at the end. Instructors sometimes still want them at the end of student papers, so always check the assignment.
• Consistent numbering: Tables and figures are numbered separately (Table 1, Table 2; Figure 1, Figure 2). Chicago discourages mixing them in a single sequence.
• Color use: With digital publishing standard in 2024–2025, color figures are more common, but they still need to be interpretable in grayscale. Titles and notes remain black text, in the same font as the main document.
• Accessibility: There’s increasing attention to accessibility, especially in U.S. institutions. That means:
  • Clear labels and legends.
  • Avoiding color-only distinctions (e.g., using patterns or shapes in addition to color in graphs).
  • More descriptive figure notes.

If you’re submitting to a U.S. university or journal, it’s worth checking their writing or accessibility center pages (often on .edu domains) for local examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples that meet accessibility expectations.

Common mistakes these examples help you avoid

Looking at real examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples also makes it easier to sidestep the usual errors:

• Missing numbers: Every table and figure needs a number and a title. “Untitled” visuals are a fast way to annoy reviewers.
• No source: If the data, image, or map is not entirely your own creation, you need a source note. Even public-domain data from a .gov site should be credited.
• Overloaded titles: Titles should be short and descriptive, not mini-paragraphs. Put the technical detail in the note instead.
• Inconsistent style: Mixing APA-style figure labels with Chicago-style citations makes your paper look stitched together. Pick one system—here, Chicago—and apply it consistently.

The examples in this guide model clean, consistent formatting that will satisfy most Chicago-focused style rubrics.

FAQ: Chicago style tables and figures examples

Q: Can you give another example of a Chicago-style table source note for government data?
Yes. Suppose you adapt a table on obesity prevalence from a WebMD summary that cites CDC data. Your table note might read:

Source: Adapted from WebMD, “Adult Obesity Facts,” summarizing data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accessed April 3, 2025.

If you use WebMD as your immediate source, you name it, but you also acknowledge the underlying CDC data.

Q: Do I always need a note under a table or figure in Chicago style?
Not always. If the table or figure is entirely your own and needs no explanation, you can omit the note. But most real examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples include at least a brief note, even if it’s just a short clarification like “Author’s analysis.”

Q: Are tables and figures formatted the same way in Chicago Notes and Bibliography vs. Author-Date?
The visual layout—number, title, body, note, source—is the same. The difference shows up in how you cite sources in the note. Notes and bibliography style leans toward full or shortened notes; author-date uses in-text style citations in the notes.

Q: Where can I see more real examples of Chicago-style tables and figures?
Check writing centers and style guides from universities that follow Chicago, such as large U.S. research universities (.edu sites). Browsing recent theses or dissertations from history or literature departments often gives you dozens of real examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples used in serious academic work.

Q: Is it acceptable to use data from sites like Mayo Clinic or NIH in Chicago-style tables and figures?
Yes. Both Mayo Clinic and NIH are widely respected. Just make sure your table or figure notes clearly identify them as the source and that you include full references in your bibliography.

The key takeaway from these examples of Chicago style tables and figures examples is that clarity beats cleverness every time. Number your visuals, give them short, informative titles, explain what the reader is seeing in a concise note, and credit your sources in a way that matches the rest of your Chicago-style citations. If you model your work on these real examples, your tables and figures will look like they belong in a serious 2024–2025 research paper.