Using tables
Statistical and financial data can make some readers glaze over. A table is often the best way to present such information in a comprehensible way.
The very act of organising information into a matrix—grouping and labelling rows and columns in a meaningful way—is an important step in interpreting data for your readers. Here are a few tips for making the most of this handy device.
Order
By what logic are your columns and rows arranged: chronologically, from largest to smallest value, alphabetically, or randomly? Choose a method that supports the point you are trying to make. If you are comparing the annual agricultural export income of the states of Australia, perhaps start with the highest-exporting state, ranging down to the lowest. Listing the states alphabetically would not be very helpful.
Alignment
A column of numbers with decimal fractions or dollar-and-cent amounts should be aligned on the decimal point (the column itself can be centred on its longest value, although this can be hard to do in Microsoft Word). Be sure that all numbers have the same number of decimal places. If they are all whole numbers, right-alignment is the way to go. This way, approximate relative values are readily apparent and the largest and smallest quantities are easily spotted by scanning down a column.
Thousands also need to be made clear. In text, commas or spaces to separate thousands are generally used only in numbers over 9999 (1256, but 12,560 or 12 560). But in a table you need to apply the same style throughout, so that numbers of different magnitudes align correctly. So even if only one figure is greater than or equal to 10,000, every value of 1,000 or greater will need a thousand space or comma (9,999 or 9 999). In a professionally typeset document the space used is a thin space. In Microsoft Word, use a non-breaking space (Ctrl-Shift-Space) to prevent a number splitting over a line break.
Accuracy
How many times have I encountered columns of figures that don’t add up to the total provided? I’ve lost count! Always double-check your figures. If a percentage column adds up to slightly more or less than 100{ff6ca7b474dd05553048b910a34e7fba34d80f8847cae3051262c18ce766eaf5} due to rounding, include a note to this effect, so that readers will feel confident in the accuracy of your information. Preparing tables as an Excel spreadsheet with formulae is the best way to ensure accuracy. Copy and paste the table into your Word document at the last minute, then apply the correct table styles.
Formatting
Make sure every row and every column has a heading. Some will also need measurement units such as $ or {ff6ca7b474dd05553048b910a34e7fba34d80f8847cae3051262c18ce766eaf5} or ’000. If you are publishing your table online or across two or more pages of a printed document, make sure the headings remain visible as the reader scrolls or reads down or across. Otherwise figures become meaningless.Putting spaces or lines between associated groups of rows or columns, adding text effects such as bold, italics or colour, or using banded rows and other devices can all serve to distinguish between, or unify, subsets of information in a table.
Would a graph be better?
Finally, or perhaps firstly, consider whether a table is really the best way to present your information. Would a graph (whether bar, column, line, scatter or pie), chart or infographic communicate the information more clearly? A series of graphs is particularly useful for presenting comparable sets of data, or to illustrate a trend over time (such as currency fluctuations).
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