Use tables and figures effectively to present detailed results and complex relationships, reduce the length of the manuscript, and enhance readers’ understanding of the study results.

1. How to use figures and tables effectively to
present your research findings
Helping you get published

2. How to use figures and tables effectively to present your research findings
Several studies, journal guidelines, and discourses on
scientific writing1-10 affirm the critical role that tables,
figures, and graphs (or display items) play in enhancing the
quality of manuscripts.
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 manuscript7).

3. How to use figures and tables effectively to present your research findings
These visual elements help authors present detailed results and
complex relationships, patterns, and trends clearly and concisely;1-
8,11,13,14 reduce the length of the manuscript;3,5,13,15 and enhance
readers’ understanding of the study results.11,12
But while well-presented tables and figures can efficiently capture
and present information, poorly crafted tables and figures can
confuse readers and impair the effectiveness of a paper.16 To help
authors get the balance right, this article presents some essential
guidelines to the effective use of tables and figures.

4. Planning Your Paper: When to Use Tables and Figures
Producing effective tables and figures requires careful planning that begins at the
manuscript writing stage itself. Here’s how to go about it:
1. 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.
2. 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.)
3. After you’ve 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.)
4. 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.

5. Table 1: How to Choose between Tables, Figures, and Text to Present Data
Use a Table Use a Figure Use text
To show many and precise To show trends, patterns, and When you don’t have extensive
numerical values and other relationships across and or complicated data to present
specific data in a small space17 between data sets when the
general pattern is more
important than the exact data
values8,9,13,16,17,18 (what to use:
graphs and data plots)
To compare and contrast data To summarize research When putting your data into a
values or characteristics among results8(what to use: graphs, table would mean creating a
related items2,9 or items with data plots, maps, and pie table with 2 or fewer columns2
several shared characteristics or charts)
variables19
To show the presence or To present a visual explanation When the data that you are
absence of specific of a sequence of events, planning to present is peripheral
characteristics19 procedures, geographic to the study or irrelevant to the
features, or physical main study findings8,12
characteristics7,18(what to use:
schematic diagrams, images,
photographs, and maps)

6. Best-practice Guidelines for Presentation of Tables and Figures
General Guidelines
1. Ensure that display items are self-explanatory: 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.6,8,9,12,16,20
2. Refer, but don’t repeat: Use the text to draw the reader’s attention to the
significance and key points of the table/figure, but don’t repeat
details.5,12,16,19,21,22 So for example, you could highlight your main finding (e.g.,
“We found that the treatment was effective in only 24% of the cases, as shown
in Figure 1”), but don’t repeat exact values (e.g., “As Table 2 shows, 32% of the
subjects chose Option 1, 12% chose Option 2, 10% chose Option 3, and 46%
chose Option 4”). This defeats the very purpose (efficiency and clarity) of having
a table or figure.

7. Best-practice Guidelines for Presentation of Tables and Figures
General Guidelines
3. Be consistent:6,9,12,17 Ensure consistency between values or details in a table
(e.g., abbreviations, group names, treatment names) and those in the text.
4. Give clear, informative titles:16,17 Table and figure titles should not be vague9,19
but should concisely describe the purpose or contents of the table/figure and
should ideally draw the reader’s attention to what you what him/her to
notice17 (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.
5. Adhere to journal guidelines: 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.18,23

8. Guidelines for tables
1. Combine repetitive tables: Tables and figures that present repetitive information will
impair communication rather than enhance it.8,12 Examine the titles of all your tables
and figures and check if they talk about the same or similar things.8 If they do,
rethink the presentation and combine or delete the tables/graphs.
2. Divide the data:7 When presenting large amounts of information, divide the data into
clear and appropriate categories and present them in columns titled accurately and
descriptively.
3. Watch the extent of data in your tables: 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.8
4. De-clutter your table: Ensure that there is sufficient spacing between columns and
rows7 and that the layout does not make the table look too messy or crowded.

9. Guidelines for figures
1. Ensure image clarity: Make sure that all the parts of the figure are clear:18 Use
standard font; check that labels are legible against the figure background; and ensure
that images are sharp.24
2. Use legends to explain the key message:25 Figure 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.
3. Label all important parts: Label the key sections and parts of schematic diagrams and
photographs, and all axes, curves, and data sets in graphs and data plots.6,7,16,18
4. Give specifics: 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.7,18

10. Examples of Well-prepared Tables and Figures
The table below is taken from a dietary study on chick-rearing macaroni penguins26 and is an example
of an effective table for the following reasons:

11. Examples of Well-prepared Tables and Figures
1. The title clearly describes what the table is about.
2. The column heads are descriptive and clearly indicate the nature of the data
presented.
3. The data is divided into categories for clarity.
4. It is self-contained and can be understood quite well even without reference to
the entire paper.
5. Superscript letters and notes are used to offer additional, clarifying information.
6. Sufficient spacing is present between columns and rows; the layout is clean; and
the font is legible.

12. Example of an effective figure (graph)
1. It uses an informative title that
immediately tells the reader what to
expect in the graph below.
2. The axes are labeled clearly.
3. The key clearly identifies what each
element in the graph stands for.
4. A figure legend at the bottom draws
the reader’s attention to the key
points in the graph.
5. A note at the bottom acknowledges
the source.
6. The graph is 2-dimensional, with no
clutter.
The figure above, from a paper on the efficacy of oyster reefs as natural
breakwaters27, scores on several counts

13. Example of an effective figure (graph)
Conclusion
Figures and tables, or display items, are powerful communication tools—they give your
manuscript a professional feel, attract and sustain the interest of readers, and efficiently
present large amounts of complex information.7 Moreover, as most journals editors and
reviewers will glance at these display items before they begin a full reading of your
paper, their importance cannot be overemphasized.

14. How to use figures and tables effectively to present your research findings
References:
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Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 7th Edition (p. 460). Reston, VA: Rockefeller
University Press, 2006.
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Martin’s Press, 1988.

15. How to use figures and tables effectively to present your research findings
References:
10. 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): 749–761.
11. Purdue Online Writing Lab. APA Tables and Figures 1. [Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available from:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/19/.
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http://www.uk.sagepub.com/journalgateway/files/how_to_get_published.pdf.
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from: http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/research/herpstaff/StevePrice/BIO%20112
/Lab/Exercise_1.pdf.
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Corner/Author-Guidelines.aspx.
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[Accessed: Aug 8, 2011] Available
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from: http://polaris.umuc.edu/~nhoaglan/COMM600/Tables%20and%20Figures.pdf.

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References:
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http://www.authoraid.info/resource-library/authoraid-workshop-on-research-writing-march-2011/Nepal-
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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.
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.

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