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Tablesshould summarize and present the numerical data answering the research questions, objectives or problem statements of a report or article.Tablestyles vary across publications, but remain consistent within a publication. Follow the publication's style manual for developing tables. To learn more, explore each page below:
Review the style guidelines across style manuals and you'll find a convention that names key parts ofTables. Keep in mind that publications differ. For example,The Chicago manual of style,CBE style manual, and thePublication manual of the American Psychological Associationuse few divider rules. In contrast, engineering publications often use divider and vertical rules to separate each cell.
The key parts of theTablesinclude
When you consider usingTablesin your document, ask,
Your research questions, objectives, or problem statements can help you design yourTable. The question that you set out to answer directs the data you collect, the analysis you should conduct, and the format you use for yourTable.
Assume your project was exploring the computer expertise of three groups of students and wanted to know a significant difference exists in the computer experience and expertise of the groups?
Assume you surveyed students and knew the average number of months of computer experience by type of computer. You could then compare, in aTable, using rows for the type of computers, and columns for group of students.
Average Number of Months of Computer Experience
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | |
| Windows | 20 | 30 | 40 |
| Macintosh | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| Other | 5 | 18 | 10 |
While the above represents a general data and where the data should be placed, it does not represent the final format of theTable.
Before you begin to prepareTables, carefully consider your purpose and style. Consistency plays a key role for allTables. The following general guidelines will serve as a starting point, but some style manuals and some instructors disagree and may wantTablespresented differently.
Consider the following general guidelines:
While the research onTablesis limited, Macdonald-Ross (1977a, 1977b) reviewed decades of research on illustrations and summarized the findings. His recommendations include:
If you aren't accustomed to working with tables, you may feel uncertain about how to incorporate tables into your writing. A good place to learn about tables is in journals and other publications. You should also investigate the style guides used in your field. Many organizations produce these guides to help you properly include tables into your documents. To read answers to some common questions, choose any of the items below:
It's typically easier to look at aTablethan to read through numerical data listed in paragraphs. This does not mean, however, thatTablesshould replace text. You should not simply say, "The data can be seen in Tables 1 through 9." Instead, the primary role of aTableisn't to replace, but rather to enhance your narrative.
The role of aTableis to reinforce your data and to make the data easier to understand. Stating information in words gives readers the general idea, but seeing it in aTableform makes it clearer. At the same time, the information you convey in your text also supports yourTable. Don’t just write that the data can be seen in theTable. Tell your readers what theTabledepicts.
Generally, having more rather than fewerTablesis desirable. However, if theTablesaren’t adding anything, don’t put them in, but you can always find opportunities whereTableswill help. Remember, you can always place less importantTablesin an Appendix.
Ideally,Tablesshould appear on the same page, immediately following or adjacent to the first instance when you mention the table in your text. When you write, "See Table One," your readers should be able to easily locate theTable. Also, your readers will appreciate not having to turn pages and hunt for a table. Advances in word processing and desktop publishing software make it relatively easy to insertTableswithin the text itself. If it isn't possible to fit aTableonto the page immediately following or adjacent to its first mention in the text, then you should place theTableon the next page.
Tables should be clear and captions should be large enough to be read. Many readers prefer that bold symbols be used to represent data. Also, all lettering and numbering should be large enough to easily read and you should use a mix of bold and lighter lines.
Unless they are extremely complex, tables should not take up an entire page. They should be of a size that allows them to be inserted on the page where the table is first mentioned. However, they should not be so small that they are difficult to read.
Don Zimmerman and Gregory Thayer. (1994-2023). Designing Documents: Using Tables. The WAC Clearinghouse. Colorado State University. Available at //www.fuctcompany.com/repository/resources/writing/guides/.
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