This document provides guidance on how to effectively present data in tables. It outlines best practices for table layout, including using no vertical lines and three horizontal lines. It recommends labeling rows and columns clearly and concisely. Guidance is also given on formatting numbers, abbreviations, and merging and removing cells. The document demonstrates these concepts through detailed instructions and an example table.

1. How to present data effectively in tables
Tezira Lore
Communications specialist
April 2014
This presentation is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

2. Introduction
• Scientific papers often present data in tables.
• A good table should be able to stand alone and
convey the key points without the need to
consult the text.
• These slides will guide you on how to format and
present your tables so as to effectively
communicate your tabulated data.

3. Basic layout of a table
• A table contains no vertical lines.
• Three horizontal lines run the full width of the
table:
– Beneath the table caption and any headnotes
– Beneath the headings for the stub and the field
– Below the field and before any footnotes
• Other horizontal lines (straddle lines) run across
all the columns of items to which the heading
above the straddle line refers.

4. Basic layout of a table
Table No. Table caption
Main box heading (identify items in field)a
Secondary head No. 1b
Secondary head No. 2
Stub Head Tertiary No. 1 Tertiary No. 2
Stub #1c
Field item No. 1 Field item No. 2 Field item No. 3d
Stub #2 Field item No. 4 … …
… … … …
a,b,c,d
Footnotes in order from top to bottom and horizontally.
Source: Davis (2005)

5. Box and stub headings
• Box headings
– identify items in columns
– should define the meaning of items in the field
(e.g. yields, percentages etc.)
– should include units of measure
• Stub heading identifies the independent
variables for items in horizontal rows
Use as few headings as possible
Make headings brief and substantive
Try not to go beyond secondary heads if possible

6. Numbers and abbreviations
• Give only significant figures
• Align decimals in columns
• Omit columns with
– a string of zeros
– a string of 100s (when percentages are used)
– the same result repeated
• Explain non-standard abbreviations in the
footnote

7. Step 1: Under Table Tools, click the Layout tab.
Remove borders from the whole table
Step 2: In the Table group, click Select, and then
click Select Table.
Step 3: Under Table Tools,
click the Design tab.
Step 4: In the Table Styles
group, click Borders, and then
click No Border.

8. Add borders to specified cells
Step 1: Select the cells that you want.
Step 2: Under Table Tools, click the Design tab.
Step 3: In the Table Styles group, click Borders.
Step 4: Click the border(s) that you want to add.

9. Remove borders from specified cells
Step 1: Select the cells that you want.
Step 2: Under Table Tools, click the Design tab.
Step 3: In the Table Styles group, click Borders
Step 4: Click No Border.

10. Merge cells
Merge several cells horizontally to create a box
heading that spans several columns.
Step 1: Select the cells that you want to merge.
Step 2: Under Table Tools, on the Layout tab, in
the Merge group, click Merge Cells.

11. Example of a well-presented table
Jost C, Nzietchueng S, Kihu S, Bett B, Njogu G, Swai ES and Mariner JC. 2010. Epidemiological assessment of the Rift Valley fever
outbreak in Kenya and Tanzania in 2006 and 2007. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 83(2 Suppl): 65-72.

12. Points to note
• A table should be simple, clear and well
organized.
• Use tables only when needed.
• If you can describe the data briefly in the text,
do not present them in a table.
• Avoid information overload.

13. Bibliography
• CBE Style Manual Committee. 1983. CBE style
manual: a guide for authors, editors and publishers in
the biological sciences. 5th edition. Council of
Biology Editors, Inc., Chicago, IL.
• Davis M. 2005. Scientific papers and presentations.
2nd edition. Elsevier Inc., San Diego.
• Day RA. 1983. How to write and publish a scientific
paper. 2nd edition. ISI Press, Philadelphia, PA.