Writing and Publishing Scientific Articles
8-26
Footnotes are the place to define abbreviations and special symbols used in the table and to document the source of the data in the table (if not from the current article) or indicate that the table has been reprinted with permission from another source. Be sure that the footnote symbols used in the body of the table match up with the footnotes listed below the table. Journals commonly use 1 of 2 footnote systems in tables: superscript symbols or superscript lowercase letters (a to z). If symbols are used, the typical ones are *, †, ‡, §, ||, ¶, and # [and then double symbols (**, ††, etc.) and even triple symbols if additional designators are needed]. In most journals, vertical lines are not used to separate columns in tables. The careful alignment of data in the columns makes vertical lines unnecessary. By convention, the only horizontal lines used are
▪ Lines above and below the column headings,
▪
A line below the last row of data, and
▪
Lines below spanning column headings.
In tables showing comparisons or subsets, it is helpful to readers if percentages are given in addition to actual values. It is also helpful to provide totals for columns, when the totals for the columns are relevant. If a column shows many sets of data for the same group, the total number might go best in the column heading.
If all the values in a column would be the same, the information should be presented in a footnote to the table or given in the text instead.
Be sure that numeric categories do not overlap or leave out possible values. For example, if 1 row stub is “tumors ≤ 5 cm” and the next is “tumors ≥ 5 cm,” then tumors of exactly 5 cm could be listed in either row or in both rows. Conversely, if 1 row stub is “tumors < 5 cm” and the next is “tumors > 5 cm,” then tumors of exactly 5 cm would not be included in either row. Therefore, the row stubs should be “tumors < 5 cm” and “tumors ≥ 5 cm” or “tumors ≤ 5 cm” and “tumors > 5 cm.” In columns, align numbers on the decimal point (real or imaginary). If columns contain text, align the first line in each cell on the left; all lines in a cell after the first line should be indented slightly. It is easy to make errors in numbers when you are revising tables and text to match new data. Be sure to check the numbers in all tables before you submit your manuscript.
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