{"id":1983,"date":"2013-11-04T09:20:23","date_gmt":"2013-11-04T09:20:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/tips-on-effective-use-of-tables-and-figures-in-research-papers\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T11:47:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:17:28","slug":"tips-on-effective-use-of-tables-and-figures-in-research-papers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/tips-on-effective-use-of-tables-and-figures-in-research-papers","title":{"rendered":"Tips on effective use of tables and figures in research papers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Several studies, journal guidelines, and discourses on scientific writing<sup>1-10<\/sup>\u00a0affirm the critical role that tables, figures, and graphs (or display items) play in enhancing the quality of manuscripts.\u00a0Scientific tables and graphs can be utilized to represent sizeable numerical or statistical data in a time- and space-effective manner. Readers are often drawn towards tables and figures, because they perceive it as easy-reading, as compared to reading a verbose account of the same content. They rightly assume that these display items will provide them with a larger amount of information in a shorter time span.<\/p>\n<p>At the manuscript screening stage, these display items offer reviewers and journal editors a quick overview of the study findings, and once the paper is published, they do the same for readers (some of whom look only at these display items and not at the rest of the manuscript<sup>7<\/sup>).\u00a0However, tables and figures only add value to the format of a research report, if they are brief yet sufficiently informative.<\/p>\n<p>These visual elements help authors present detailed results and complex relationships, patterns, and trends clearly and concisely;<sup>1-8,11,13,14<\/sup>\u00a0reduce the length of the manuscript;<sup>3,5,13,15<\/sup>\u00a0and enhance readers\u2019 understanding of the study results.<sup>11,12<\/sup>\u00a0Therefore, these tools are integral to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/services\/research-paper-manuscript-formatting-services?utm_source=editageinsights&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=202604\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>format of a research paper<\/u><\/a> because, if clear and well-organized, they speed up the comprehension and interpretation of the study\u2019s findings.<\/p>\n<p>But while well-presented tables and figures in research papers can efficiently capture and present information, poorly crafted tables and figures can confuse readers and impair the effectiveness of a paper.<sup>16<\/sup>\u00a0To help authors get the balance right, this article presents some essential guidelines to the effective use of tables and figures in research papers.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#planning-your-paper\">Planning your paper: When to use tables and figures in scientific papers<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#best-practices\">Best practices for presentation of tables and figures in scientific papers<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#examples-of-tables-and-figures\">Examples of well-prepared tables and figures<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/services\/other\/artwork-preparation?utm_source=contentmarketing&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=editage-insights-low_perf--row\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"media-element file-default\" title=\"Default Title Text\" src=\"https:\/\/insights.cactusglobal.com\/sites\/default\/files\/17%20Dec-4-728x90.png\" alt=\"Default Alt text\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"planning-your-paper\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">Planning your paper: When to use tables and figures in scientific papers<\/h2>\n<p>Producing effective tables and figures requires careful planning that begins at the manuscript writing stage itself. Here\u2019s how to go about it:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">First, check out what your target journal has to say on the issue. Some journals limit the number of tables and figures and also have specific guidelines on the design aspects of these display items.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Next, decide whether to use tables and figures or text to put across key information.(Refer to Table 1 below for help on making this decision.)<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">After you\u2019ve decided to use a display item, choose the display item that best fits your purpose based on what you wish readers to focus on and what you want to present.(Refer to Table 1 below for more information.)<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Finally, follow the best-practice guidelines outlined in section 3 and review the examples presented in section 4 of this paper to ensure that your tables and figures are well-designed.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">Table 1: How to choose between tables, figures, and text to present data<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive\" title=\"Tables and Figures\" src=\"http:\/\/insights.cactusglobal.com\/sites\/default\/files\/Tables%20and%20Figures.png\" alt=\"Tables and Figures\" data-file_info=\"%7B%22fid%22:%22267%22,%22view_mode%22:%22default%22,%22fields%22:%7B%22format%22:%22default%22,%22field_file_image_alt_text%5Bund%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%22:%22Tables%20and%20Figures%22,%22field_file_image_title_text%5Bund%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%22:%22Tables%20and%20Figures%22%7D,%22type%22:%22media%22%7D\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"best-practices\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">Best practices for presentation of tables and figures in scientific papers<\/h2>\n<p><strong>General guidelines<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">1.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Ensure that display items are self-explanatory<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">: Some readers (and certainly reviewers and journal editors) turn their attention to the tables and figures before they read the entire text, so these display items should be self-contained.<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">6,8,9,12,16,20\u00a0<\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">2. Refer, but don\u2019t repeat<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">: Use the text to draw the reader\u2019s attention to the significance and key points of the table\/figure, but don\u2019t repeat details.<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">5,12,16,19,21,22<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">\u00a0So for example, you could highlight your main finding (e.g., \u201cWe found that the treatment was effective in only 24% of the cases, as shown in Figure 1\u201d), but don\u2019t repeat exact values (e.g., \u201cAs Table 2 shows, 32% of the subjects chose Option 1, 12% chose Option 2, 10% chose Option 3, and 46% chose Option 4\u201d). This defeats the very purpose (efficiency and clarity) of having a table or figure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">3.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Be consistent<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">:<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">6,9,12,17<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">\u00a0Ensure consistency between values or details in a table (e.g., abbreviations, group names, treatment names) and those in the text.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">4.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Give clear, informative titles<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">:<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">16,17<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">\u00a0Table and figure titles should not be vague<span style=\"font-size: 12px;\"><sup>9,19<\/sup><\/span> but should concisely describe the purpose or contents of the table\/figure and should ideally draw the reader\u2019s attention to what you want him\/her to notice<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">17<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">\u00a0(e.g., Advantages and disadvantages of using sleep therapy with patients suffering from schizophrenia). Also ensure that column heads, axis labels, figure labels, etc., are clearly and appropriately labelled.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">5.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Adhere to journal guidelines<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">: Check what your target journal has to say about issues like the number of tables and figures, the style of numbering, titles, image resolution, file formats, etc., and follow these instructions carefully.<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">18,23<\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><strong><u><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Guidelines for tables<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">1.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Combine repetitive tables<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">: Tables and figures that present repetitive information will impair communication rather than enhance it.<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">8,12<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">\u00a0Examine the titles of all your tables and figures and check if they talk about the same or similar things.<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">8<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">\u00a0If they do, rethink the presentation and combine or delete the tables\/graphs.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dr-eddy\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">2. <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Divide the data<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">:<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">7<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">\u00a0When presenting large amounts of information, divide the data into clear and appropriate categories and present them in columns titled accurately and descriptively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">3.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Watch the extent of data in your tables<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">: If the data you have to present is extensive and would make the tables too cluttered or long, consider making the tables a part of the Appendix or supplemental material.<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">8<\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">4. De-clutter your table<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">: Ensure that there is sufficient spacing between columns and rows<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">7<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">\u00a0and that the layout does not make the table look too messy or crowded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><strong><u><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">Guidelines for figures<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">1.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Ensure image clarity<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">: Make sure that all the parts of the figure are clear:<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">18<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">\u00a0Use standard font; check that labels are legible against the figure background; and ensure that images are sharp.<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">24<\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">2. Use legends to explain the key message<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">:<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">25<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">\u00a0Figure legends are pivotal to the effectiveness of a figure. Use them to draw attention to the central message as well as to explain abbreviations and symbols.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">3.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Label all important parts<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">: Label the key sections and parts of schematic diagrams and photographs, and all axes, curves, and data sets in graphs and data plots.<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">6,7,16,18<\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">4. Give specifics<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">: Include scale bars in images and maps; specify units wherever quantities are listed; include legends in maps and schematics; and specify latitudes and longitudes on maps.<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">7,18<\/sup><\/p>\n<div class=\"well\"><em><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 107%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">Get help with creating technical artwork as per the guidelines of your target journal with <strong><a style=\"color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/services\/other\/artwork-preparation?utm_source=insightsrow&amp;utm_medium=contentmarketing&amp;utm_campaign=top50\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Editage\u2019s professional artwork services<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"examples-of-tables-and-figures\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">Examples of well-prepared tables and figures<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\">This<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\"> section presents one example each of a well-prepared table and a well-designed figure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\">The table below is taken from a dietary study on chick-rearing macaroni penguins<\/span><sup style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify; font-family: GandhiSansRegular;\">26<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\">\u00a0and is an example of an effective table for the following reasons:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal; text-align: justify;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive\" title=\"A good table should have clear title\" src=\"http:\/\/insights.cactusglobal.com\/sites\/default\/files\/ex-table.png\" alt=\"A good table should have clear title\" data-file_info=\"%7B%22fid%22:%221693%22,%22view_mode%22:%22default%22,%22fields%22:%7B%22format%22:%22default%22,%22field_file_image_alt_text%5Bund%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%22:%22A%20good%20table%20should%20have%20clear%20title%22,%22field_file_image_title_text%5Bund%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%22:%22A%20good%20table%20should%20have%20clear%20title%22,%22field_image_tags%5Bund%5D%5Btextfield%5D%22:%22%22,%22field_image_tags%5Bund%5D%5Bvalue_field%5D%22:%22%5C%22%5C%22%5C%22%5C%22%22%7D,%22type%22:%22media%22%7D\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;\">1. The title\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">clearly describes what the table is about.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">2.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">The column heads are descriptive and clearly indicate the nature of the data presented.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">3.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">The data is divided into categories for clarity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">4.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">It is self-contained and can be understood quite well even without reference to the entire paper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">5.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">Superscript letters and notes are used to offer additional, clarifying information.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">6.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">Sufficient spacing is present between columns and rows; the layout is clean, and the font is legible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; text-align: justify;\">Examples of an effective figure (graph)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; text-align: justify;\">The figure below\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">from a paper on the efficacy of oyster reefs as natural breakwaters<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: GandhiSansRegular;\">27<\/sup><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;\">, scores on several counts:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive\" title=\"A good figure should have informative title\" src=\"http:\/\/insights.cactusglobal.com\/sites\/default\/files\/ex-table2.png\" alt=\"A good figure should have informative title\" data-file_info=\"%7B%22fid%22:%221694%22,%22view_mode%22:%22default%22,%22fields%22:%7B%22format%22:%22default%22,%22field_file_image_alt_text%5Bund%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%22:%22A%20good%20figure%20should%20have%20informative%20title%22,%22field_file_image_title_text%5Bund%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D%22:%22A%20good%20figure%20should%20have%20informative%20title%22,%22field_image_tags%5Bund%5D%5Btextfield%5D%22:%22%22,%22field_image_tags%5Bund%5D%5Bvalue_field%5D%22:%22%5C%22%5C%22%5C%22%5C%22%22%7D,%22type%22:%22media%22%7D\" \/><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">The informative title that immediately tells the reader what to expect in the graph.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">The axes are labeled clearly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">The key clearly identifies what each element in the graph stands for.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">A figure legend at the bottom draws the reader\u2019s attention to the graph&#8217;s key points.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">A note at the bottom acknowledges the source.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">The graph is 2-dimensional, with no clutter.<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Figures and\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">tables, or display items, are powerful communication tools\u2014they give your man<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 13.63636302947998px;\">uscript a professional feel, attract and sustain the interest of readers, and efficiently present large amounts of complex information.<\/span><sup style=\"font-family: GandhiSansRegular;\">7<\/sup><span style=\"font-size: 13.63636302947998px;\">\u00a0Moreover, as most journals editors and reviewers will glance at t<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">hese display items before they begin a full reading of your paper, their importance cannot be overemphasized.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Key takeaways:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">Tables and figures are great tools to present sizeable amounts of complex data in a space-saving, easy-to-understand way.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"line-height: 115%;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\">Decide when to use a table, a figure, or text depending on the type of data you need to present and what your journal guidelines recommend.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;\">Follow these guidelines for framing table and figure and titles, representing symbols within tables and figures, and ensuring that your artwork is clutter-free and visually appealing.<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; text-align: justify;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">You might be interested in checking out this insightful course: <a href=\"https:\/\/upskill.researcher.life\/product\/course-create-effective-tables-for-your-research-paper\/74?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=internal_related_reading&amp;utm_campaign=article\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Create effective tables for your research paper<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"opHeading sub-hd\" style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: GandhiSansRegular; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 40px; color: #008ae0;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;\"><a style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">Bibliography<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">1. Council of Science Editors. Journal Style and Format. In Council of Science Editors(Eds.), Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 7th Edition (p. 460). Reston, VA: Rockefeller University Press, 2006.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">2.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">American Psychological Association. APA Editorial Style. In Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association,5th Edition (pp. 147\u2013201). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2001.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">3.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.icmje.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.ICMJE.org<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">4.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">Cooper RJ, Schriger DL, Wallace RC, Mikulich VJ, Wilkes MS. The Quantity and Quality of Scientific Graphs in Pharmaceutical Advertisements. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2003; 18: 294\u2013297.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">5.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">Durbin CG Jr. Effective Use of Tables and Figures in Abstracts, Presentations, and Papers. Respiratory Care, 2004; 49(10): 1233\u20131237.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">6.\u00a0EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research. Reporting Results in Tables and Figures. In Guidelines in the Analysis Phase (pp. 14\u201316). [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0http:\/\/www.emgo.nl\/kc\/reporting-results-in-tables-and-figures\/\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">7.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Springer. The Importance of Figures and Tables. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.springer.com\/authors\/journal+authors\/training?SGWID=0-1726414-12-837813-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.springer.com\/authors\/journal+authors\/training?SGWID=0-1726414-12-837813-0<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">8.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Clark JC. Effective Tables and Figures. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/ion.uwinnipeg.ca\/~clark\/research\/comm\/C12_FIGU.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/ion.uwinnipeg.ca\/~clark\/research\/comm\/C12_FIGU.pdf<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">9.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">McMillan VE. Using Tables and Figures. In Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences (pp. 30\u201350). New York: St. Martin\u2019s Press, 1988.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">10.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">Smith LD, Best LA, Stubbs DA, Archibald AB, Roberson-Nay R. Constructing Knowledge: The Role of Graphs and Tables in Hard and Soft Psychology. American Psychologist, 2002; 57(10): 749\u2013761.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">11.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Purdue Online Writing Lab. APA Tables and Figures 1. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/owl.english.purdue.edu\/owl\/resource\/560\/19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/owl.english.purdue.edu\/owl\/resource\/560\/19\/<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">12.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">SAGE Publications. How to Get Your Journal Article Published. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.uk.sagepub.com\/journalgateway\/files\/how_to_get_published.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.uk.sagepub.com\/journalgateway\/files\/how_to_get_published.pdf<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">13.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Paradise C. How to Record and Present Your Data Graphically Using Excel. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bio.davidson.edu\/people\/midorcas\/research\/herpstaff\/StevePrice\/BIO%20112\/Lab\/Exercise_1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.bio.davidson.edu\/people\/midorcas\/research\/herpstaff\/StevePrice\/BIO%20112<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><a style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bio.davidson.edu\/people\/midorcas\/research\/herpstaff\/StevePrice\/BIO%20112\/Lab\/Exercise_1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\/Lab\/Exercise_1.pdf<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-family: verdana,geneva,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">14.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">Schriger DL, Sinha R, Schroter S, Liu P, Altman D. From Submission to Publication: A Retrospective Review of the Tables and Figures in a Cohort of Randomized Controlled Trials Submitted to the British Medical Journal. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 2006; 48(6): 750\u2013756.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">15. Institute of Food Technologists. Author Guidelines. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ift.org\/Knowledge-Center\/Read-IFT-Publications\/Journal-of-Food-Science\/Authors-Corner\/Author-Guidelines.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.ift.org\/Knowledge-Center\/Read-IFT-Publications\/Journal-of-Food-Science\/Authors-Corner\/Author-Guidelines.aspx<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">16.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">The University of ReadingStatistical Services Centre. Informative Presentation of Tables, Graphs and Statistics. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.reading.ac.uk\/ssc\/n\/resources\/Docs\/PresentationOfTablesGraphsAndStatistics.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.reading.ac.uk\/ssc\/n\/resources\/Docs\/PresentationOfTablesGraphsAndStatistics.pdf<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">17.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Hoagland N. Using Tables and Figures in an Academic Research Paper. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/polaris.umuc.edu\/~nhoaglan\/COMM600\/Tables%20and%20Figures.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/polaris.umuc.edu\/~nhoaglan\/COMM600\/Tables%20and%20Figures.pdf<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">18.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Author Aid Resource Library. Tables and Figures: Some Basic Advice. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.authoraid.info\/resource-library\/authoraid-workshop-on-research-writing-march-2011\/Nepal-RM_01a-Tables%20and%20Figures-minus%20photos.ppt\/at_download\/file\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.authoraid.info\/resource-library\/authoraid-workshop-on-research-writing-march-2011\/Nepal-RM_01a-Tables%20and%20Figures-minus%20photos.ppt\/at_download\/file<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">19.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Northwestern\u2019s Online Writing Resources. Visual Communication: Document Design, Figures, and Tables. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/nuwrite.northwestern.edu\/communities\/design\/docs\/engineering-design-and-communication-principles-and-practice\/chapter_20.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/nuwrite.northwestern.edu\/communities\/design\/docs\/engineering-design-and-communication-principles-and-practice\/chapter_20.pdf.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\">20.\u00a0<span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Marine Ecology Progress Series. Guidelines for MEPS Authors. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.int-res.com\/journals\/meps\/guidelines-for-meps-authors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.int-res.com\/journals\/meps\/guidelines-for-meps-authors\/<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">21. BMJ Publishing Group. The Essentials of BMJ Style. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/resources.bmj.com\/bmj\/authors\/bmj-house-style\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/resources.bmj.com\/bmj\/authors\/bmj-house-style<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">22.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">The Geological Society of America. Geology Guidelines. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.geosociety.org\/pubs\/geoguid6.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.geosociety.org\/pubs\/geoguid6.htm<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">23.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Wiley-Blackwell. Author Services: Electronic Artwork Guidelines. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/authorservices.wiley.com\/bauthor\/illustration.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/authorservices.wiley.com\/bauthor\/illustration.asp<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">24. Wiley-Blackwell. Electronic Artwork\u2014An Introduction. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/authorservices.wiley.com\/electronicartworkguidelines.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/authorservices.wiley.com\/electronicartworkguidelines.pdf<\/a><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">25. PLOS Biology. PLOS Biology Guidelines for Authors. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-size: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #1b609a;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.plosbiology.org\/static\/guidelines.action#figures\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.plosbiology.org\/static\/guidelines.action#figures<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">26. Deagle BE, Gales NJ, Evans K, Jarman SN, Robinson S, et al. Studying Seabird Diet through Genetic Analysis of Faeces: A Case Study on Macaroni Penguins (Eudypteschrysolophus). PLoS ONE 2007; 2(9): e831.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; padding: 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style-type: decimal;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;\">27. Cyphers SB, Powers SP, Heck KL Jr, Byron D. Oyster Reefs as Natural Breakwaters Mitigate Shoreline Loss and Facilitate Fisheries.PLoS ONE2011; 6(8): e22396.<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10.5pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';\">Recommended reading:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list 36.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/referring-to-tables-and-figures-in-text\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 10.5pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';\">Referring to tables and figures in text<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list 36.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/avoid-instructions-such-as-see-table-2-and-refer-to-figure-6\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 10.5pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';\">Avoid instructions such as &#8220;See Table 2&#8221; and &#8220;Refer to Figure 6&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list 36.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/quick-tips-on-writing-titles-for-tables-and-figures-in-scientific-papers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 10.5pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';\">Quick tips on writing titles for tables and figures in scientific papers<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list 36.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/9-tips-on-presenting-your-tables-effectively\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 10.5pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';\">Presenting your tables effectively<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><span style=\"text-justify: inter-ideograph;\"><span style=\"line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list 36.0pt 54.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,sans-serif;\"><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/the-complete-guide-to-writing-a-brilliant-research-paper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The complete guide to writing a brilliant research paper<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"title-big-font\">You might find this course helpful: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/upskill.researcher.life\/product\/course-create-effective-tables-for-your-research-paper\/74?refer=search-nav\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Create effective tables for your research paper<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<h3>When should I use a table and when should I use a figure?<\/h3>\n<p>Use a table when you have a large amount of numerical data to present (e.g., participant characteristics); use a figure when you want to show the reader some kind of relationship or pattern (e.g., participants&#8217; V02 max levels over 6 months of an exercise-based intervention).<\/p>\n<h3>Can there be some overlap between a table and a figure?<\/h3>\n<p>A tiny amount of overlap between a table and a figure may be acceptable, but each table\/figure should contain fresh data. If a table and figure substantially overlap with each other, you will have to redraw or remove one.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I use a figure from another research paper?<\/h3>\n<p>If you want to use a figure from another published paper (even if it is your own previous article), you will need written\/email permission from the copyright holder of that article, and you should also provide a relevant citation for that figure in your current paper.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Several studies, journal guidelines, and discourses on scientific writing1-10\u00a0affirm the critical role that tables, figures, and graphs (or display items) play in enhancing the quality of manuscripts.\u00a0Scientific tables and graphs can be utilized to represent sizeable numerical or statistical data in a time- and space-effective manner. Readers are often drawn towards tables and figures, because [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":45190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2409],"tags":[770,2498,2524],"new_categories":[],"new_tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-1983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tables-figures","tag-formatting-tables","tag-research-paper-artwork","tag-writing-process"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Tips on effective use of tables and figures in research papers | Editage Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To prepare effective tables and figures in a scientific paper, authors must first know when and how to use them. Get tips on preparing tables and figures efficiently.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/tips-on-effective-use-of-tables-and-figures-in-research-papers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tips on effective use of tables and figures in research papers | Editage Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To prepare effective tables and figures in a scientific paper, authors must first know when and how to use them. 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