When to Use Tables and Figures

In research papers, tables and figures can be helpful and even necessary to support your argument or to present a clearer, fuller picture of your topic. Creating effective tables and figures is not a simple task, however, and using a table or figure made by another author has intellectual property considerations. In today’s post, I’ll provide some information about tables and figures and some tips for including them correctly and thoughtfully .

Tables

Tables present numerical or non-numerical data in rows (across) and columns (down). They are useful to present lots of information, precise values, and data sets. Microsoft Excel is a common tool to create tables, but many specific data programs are out there for use depending on your field of study.

A table should have a concise title and should effectively use gridlines and consistent text formatting (e.g., bold for headings, italics for designations). Rows and columns are labeled with heads (or headings), and multiple rows or columns can be grouped and labeled together with spanner heads. Whole sections can be described with a table spanner. Units for numerical data (e.g., %, km) should be included in the relevant head, and numerical data should be rounded or not consistently.

Tables should be referred to and discussed in the body of the paper, not just plopped in. The idea is that table augments the reader’s understanding of the text by allowing them to view textual data in different ways. This may allow easy comparison of outcomes, a way to emphasize similarities and differences, an easy reference, or whatever benefits the text.

Table 1. Example showing table terminology

Figures

Figures are neither body text nor tabular information and may include graphs, photographs, charts, diagrams, and more. Graphs are useful to demonstrate trends or relationships in sets of data. Diagrams show processes and parts of a whole. Images/photographs allow readers to visualize in detail something specific.

Figures should have a concise, descriptive title (or caption, depending on your style guide) and, like tables, should be referred to and discussed in the body of your paper. See Figure 1 below for a common orientation of figure elements.

Figure 1. Sample figure showing common types of figures

Note: Notes or citations for figures are placed here. Same goes for tables, if a note is needed. Information placed in notes is generally double-spaced like the body of your paper.

Stick Figure 1. Sample stick figure showing common types of stick figures

Tips and Considerations

Tables and figures can add to or detract from your paper. Follow the tips below to ensure your paper is best enhanced by additions of tables and figures.

• Style guides vary in how tables and figures should be formatted (e.g., use of a title vs. a caption for a figure, naming and numbering conventions for figures and tables). The Purdue Owl has a nice summary of information on presenting tables and figures in APA and MLA. Sheridan College has a good tip sheet on tables and figures in Chicago style. For complete information, see the full style guide of your choice.
• If  you are writing for a publication, make sure to consult your press’s or publication’s author guidelines. Sometimes authors are required to follow a particular formatting or labeling system or to provide figures in a file separate from the body of the paper.
• Make sure to cite other authors’ tables and figures if you copy them into your paper or rely on them heavily to create your own tables and figures. Use a parenthetical citation below the table or figure, formatted per your style guide, or a note such as, “Note: Table adapted from ____.”
• Make sure the table or figure serves a real purpose in your paper. Tables and figures that don’t actually add to readers’ understanding of your topic don’t make your paper look smarter; they are just clutter.
• When using a graph, make sure to select the appropriate type of graph for your data. For example, a pie chart is what you want to show proportions of a whole, and a line plot is best to show change over time.
• If a table has only a couple of rows and columns, it is better to just present that information in the body of your paper in a sentence or two unless there is something specific and relevant you’re trying to show.
• Organization is key in tables, especially those with a lot of information. Careful consideration of table layout and effective use of column and row heads and spanners make information easier to digest. A well-written title and explanatory note below (as needed) also go far to make tables and figures useful. Keep in mind, readers often scan papers and look at tables and figures before reading the paper, so making them easily accessible is key.
• If including an image or graphic of some sort, make sure the resolution is such that when you insert it into your document, it is crisp and easy to see. Blurry images make your paper look sloppy.
• If you want to include both a graph and the related table, it is best to present only one, usually the graph, in the body of your paper and the other in an appendix.

Hopefully, this post is enough to get you started with tables and figures, but as abovementioned, make sure to see your style guide for more nuanced rules you may need to apply.

Sarah P.