All academics who write or publish should prioritize the effective presentation and formatting of figures and tables. This is true at all levels of academia — including both students and published scientists. Tables and figures are crucial in academic and scientific writing. They serve mostly two purposes:
Presenting information in a clear and easy-to-read manner
Serving as proof of your experiment results
Tables and figures are easy to read and understand. Instead of having to go through paragraphs of often badly written text, readers can understand the point you’re making at one glance.
More importantly for scientific experiments, tables and figures are proof of your results. Data is often so large and complicated that it makes no sense to present it in the form of writing or paragraphs. Tables and figures allow you to present your results in a manner that is clear and easy to read, as well as reference.
In this article, I focus on tips to show how to present tables and figures in academic contexts. This means for academic essays, theses and dissertations, and journal manuscripts. Hope you find the information useful.
How to structure a table
A table usually includes a 1. Title, which is also known as a caption); 2. Column titles; 3. Table body, which presents the actual data); and 4. Note, which is a self-contained summary of the information in the table. Let’s look at each of the various parts of the table.
1. Captions. The caption is also referred to as the legend. The title should simply inform the reader about the contents of the table. Captions are typically placed above the table and aligned left. However, formatting may be different according to context. For example, certain journals may require you to place the caption below the table.
2. Column titles. Column titles should be brief and descriptive, and they should clearly indicate the units of analysis and measurement. This means readers should know what variable is being measured and in what units (e.g. cm, inches, dollars, etc.)
3. Table body. The information in the body of the table is presented in columns. Be careful not to overload a table with information. Information on tables is usually presented in columns (from top to bottom). For numerical data with decimals, as much as possible, you should have the decimal points line up with each other.
4. Note. Tables should be whole or complete. This means a reader should be able to look at it and completely understand it without referring to the text. Well, to be fair, this is not possible in all cases. However, it should be the aim. Notes help you explain any information that may be confusing to the reader. They’re aligned left and included at the bottom of the table outside of it. For example, you can use notes to explain the definitions of symbols or abbreviations in the table.
How to structure a figure
Figures include diagrams, photos, graphs, and so on. When selecting figures, choose the one that is the most simple and effective at delivering your point.
1. Figure captions. Figure captions should be concise. This means you need to provide accurate descriptions using only a limited number of words. Unlike Tables, figure captions go below the figure.
2. Figure body. The information presented in your figure must be clear. Figures are where you provide proof of your experiment results. Therefore, there should be no ambiguity in their presentation. Readers should read all the details without difficulty. So you should make sure images are large enough and have good enough resolution.
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More Tips to format tables and figures
The following are tips to follow when formatting tables and figures. However, you should bear in mind that these tips are general. Formatting guidelines may differ based on several factors. For example, journals may have different requirements.
Here is a list of tips and requirements for the effective presentation of tables and figures:
Gridlines should be invisible
Horizontal lines separating the caption column titles and footnotes from each other should be left visible
Tables and Figures should be consistent in terms of design
Use the same font for the entire table
Tables and figures should centered-justified
Tables and figures should be numbered and referenced chronologically as they appear in the text
Set tables apart from the text itself, that is, the text should not flow around the table
To sum up, information presented in tables and figures should be clear and self-contained. This means that table headings and column and figure captions should be clear and descriptive. In the case of figures, images should be large with good enough resolution.
If tables or figures are too complicated to read at first glance, you should include a note that clarifies any point of difficulty or confusion. Readers should be able to look at your figure and table and get a good idea of what it says about the results of your experiments or the point you are trying to get across.
Cite this EminentEdit article |
Antoine, M. (2024, January 04). Effective Presentation of Tables and Figures | Tips & Examples. EminentEdit. https://www.eminentediting.com/post/effective-presentation-of-tables-and-figures-tips-examples |
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