Although tables are technically not figures, they may also be used to present large amounts of data in an effective way¹². Typically, you use them when the exact values rather than the trends of your data are important. Make sure your table looks neat and is easy to understand.

As with graphs, think about the message you want to convey and what you want to include. Do not put all your raw data in a table, this clouds your message and makes your table difficult to understand¹¹.

General guidelines for tables:

• Provide units in the top row/header
• Use a legible font type and size
• Use sufficient white space in your table to prevent it looking cluttered¹²
• The figure caption is placed above the table (in contrast to figures, where it is placed below)