What is the purpose of making a table?

In a continuing series of articles on writing for the Journal of Wrist Surgery, this article will focus on the effective use of tables. Tables are used to organize data that is too detailed or complicated to be described adequately in the text, allowing the reader to quickly see the results. They can be used to highlight trends or patterns in the data and to make a manuscript more readable by removing numeric data from the text. Tables can also be used to synthesize existing literature, explain variables, or present the wording of survey questions. Although they should be complete, tables must not be too complicated. If necessary, a large table can be broken up into several smaller ones. One should avoid including identical information in a table and a graph. Similarly, don't repeat the information from a table in the text.1

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The following are some practical guidelines on constructing a table.2 (1) Ensure that the title clearly describes what the table is about. (2) The column heads should be descriptive and clearly indicate the nature of the data presented. (3) Write the table titles in the past tense and provide information regarding what is presented in the table, but do not present a summary or interpretation of the results. (4) When deciding which results to present, one should pay attention to whether the data are best presented within the text or as tables. (5) Design each table so that it is understandable on its own, without reference to the text. (6) When presenting large amounts of information, divide the data into clear and appropriate categories and present them in columns titled accurately and descriptively. (6) Limit the number of tables to those that provide essential information that could not adequately be presented in the text. (7) Include only results that are relevant to the question(s) posed in the introduction, irrespective of whether or not the results support the hypothesis(es).

A useful chart on how to decide on the best way to present the data can be found below (Table 1).

Table 1. How to choose between tables, figures, and text to present data3 .

Use a Table Use a Figure Use Text To show many and precise numerical values and other specific data in a small space To show trends, patterns, and relationships across and between datasets When you don't have extensive data to present To compare and contrast data values with several shared characteristics or variables To summarize research results When putting your data into a table would mean creating a table with 2 or fewer columns To show the presence or absence of specific characteristics To present a visual explanation of a sequence of events, procedures, or characteristics When the data that you are planning to present is irrelevant to the main study findings. Open in a new tab

References

• 1.

  Durbin C G Jr. Effective use of tables and figures in abstracts, presentations, and papers. Respir Care. ;49(10):&#;. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

• 2.

  http://www.sfedit.net/tabfig.pdf http://www.sfedit.net/tabfig.pdf

• 3.

  Rodrigues V Tips on effective use of tables and figures in research papers Nov. 4, . (accessed Sept 25, ; available from: http://www.editage.com/insights/tips-on-effective-use-of-tables-and-figures-in-research-papers

Tables are a common way to show data, but in my current work, I don&#;t create them frequently. Admittedly, when I come across a table, I often choose to visualize the data. I should clarify that I am not proposing that we never build tables. Instead, let&#;s understand their benefits and shortcomings so we can be thoughtful about when to use them and how to design good data tables.

What is a table?

A table organizes data into a tabular structure, consisting of rows and columns. They are intuitive to read, reasonably easy to build, and they are incredibly flexible. Unlike some of the previous charts we&#;ve discussed&#;bars, pies, lines, etc.&#;tables are not constrained to a specific type of data or underlying relationship. They might contain numerical values, text, symbols, or even a combination of data types. For these reasons, tables are common and favored by many. 

While seemingly simple on the surface, tables are more complex than they appear. It&#;s easy to think they are interchangeable with other basic visuals like bars and lines, but there is an important distinction to understand: we process tables differently from graphs. Tables interact with our verbal communication system, meaning we read them. Our eyes scan across rows and down columns. In comparison, graphs interact with our visual system. Our visual system is much faster at processing large quantities of information, especially when there is a pattern or shape we want to convey. Understanding this up front helps us realize when it&#;s appropriate to use a table, or said another way when our audiences should read the data rather than decode a visual.

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When should you use a table to communicate data?

Let&#;s explore a handful of business scenarios where it makes sense to use a table.

• You have varied data. Sometimes we need to communicate related metrics with multiple units of measure or varying ranges. Executive summaries, scorecards, demographic breakdowns and metadata are things that come to mind. In this case, the end-user will likely reference these items to look up specific values, so a table is an effective choice. Also, tables aren&#;t subject to the same two-dimensional space constraints as graphs, so it can be easier to display different units and ranges within a single view.

• Your audience has different needs. Tables can be great when you have a diverse audience. I&#;ve already mentioned that tables are intuitive, but they also enable each end-user to look up specific values. If you anticipate your audience will want to scan for different data, tables can be a nice solution. 

• You&#;re reading line by line. Discussing numbers and budget line items within a table are common among finance or accounting audiences. A former director of mine had an accounting background, and as a result, developed an affinity for tables. He learned how to spot patterns within tables so well that he requested data tables over graphs. I bring this up for a good reason&#;if your audience has a strong desire for tables, recognize that this is another excellent reason to use them.

• You&#;re supplementing the main story. When communicating data for explanatory purposes, we rarely show all of the data, instead opting to highlight the main takeaways. There can be value in providing audiences with the complete dataset or additional breakdowns, especially if your audience will want to look up details at a later time or explore the data independently. To meet this need, consider linking to an underlying table or adding a detailed table to an appendix.

When shouldn&#;t you use a table to communicate data?

There will always be exceptions, but two main instances come to mind when it may not be ideal to use a table. Both of these scenarios relate to how we process tables.

1. You are presenting your data live&#;in person or virtually. If you share a data table in a live presentation, your audience is likely going to start reading it. Unfortunately, we cannot actively listen and read simultaneously: if your audience is reading the table, they&#;ve tuned you out. In this situation, I&#;d recommend a graph (generally, less taxing and time-consuming to process) over a table. If you are required to use a table during a presentation, consider how your audience will interpret it. Can you pause, giving them time to read, and then continue talking? Is there a way to limit unnecessary rows and columns or direct attention to a subset of the data, making the table faster to digest?

2. You want to emphasize a pattern or shape in the data. Imagine you want to share a seasonal pattern you&#;ve identified within some continuous monthly data. To spot this in a table, you&#;d have to compare and hold several monthly values in your head, which is a mentally taxing process. If there is a pattern or something significant about the shape of your data, a graph will be a better choice over a table. That said, it&#;s possible to add visual components to a table&#;will explore this further momentarily.

How can you design a better table?

Nearly every tip shared below has to do with making tables easier to scan. Tables typically contain large amounts of detail, so we should take intentional steps to make them easy to consume. 

Clarify horizontal or vertical. Tables are consumed either across rows or down columns. Prevent your audience from assuming which way to scan by adding visuals cues. There are several ways of doing this; two of my preferred methods are to add a summary series and leverage white space. If I anticipate my audience will want to summarize the data in a total or average, then adding a summary series&#;and visually differentiating it&#;can save them a step and guide them when reading.

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