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Tables
and figures
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Tables Tables organize data and information into groups by means of numbers and/or text. They are best at presenting data. A table is always referred to as a table. All other items are referred to as figures.
Figures Figures are visual arrangements of data and results. Figures are best at showing the relationships between data, its trends and patterns. Click on this button if you want to check some figures out:
When do we use tables and figures? Which one should we use? That depends on the kind and amount
of information. Sometimes tables or figures are unnecessary because
results are best presented parenthetically in a single sentence, for
example:
A good answer would be that you should use them when the situation naturally requires them, i.e. when a complicated piece of information would be best understood by the reader in a table or figure rather than in a chunk of written text.
It depends on the information and the effect you want to convey. Basically the same data can be presented in a table or in a figure. Usually, figures are more powerful and appealing, but less precise than a table. In some cases it is difficult to
decide which one works best. Readers expect certain data to be presented
in a certain way, and it is important to benefit from this expectation
when choosing the way of making your data available. Click on the following
exercise to find out the purposes that different kinds of tables and
figures serve best:
Using tables and figures properly is as important for your research article as writing a satisfactory introduction. So, before actually writing tables and figures, it is a good idea to do the following:
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