PROJECT(TO(INTEGRATE(TECHNICAL(COMMUNICATION(HABITS!
Dr. Nadiye O. Erdil Last Revised: May 29, 2014
Page 1 of 3
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Table&title&
Notes&to&Tables&
Table&Body&
Headings&
Guidelines!for!Tables!
Tagliatela!College!of!Engineering!
Tables are useful for presenting information clearly and concisely, and enhance the readers’
understanding of the information in a document. They typically display numerical data. Text tables
display text in a tabular format.
A. Table!Structure(
Below are typical components of a table:
• Table Number: A unique number that identifies each table in a document;
• Table Title: A brief description that identifies the information in the table concisely;
• Headings (column, row): A succinct and descriptive title for each group of data in a table;
• Table Body: Section of a table that contains the information to be displayed;
• Notes to Tables: Additional information needed about an aspect of a table.
Table 1. Sheet Metal Properties for Gauge 30
Note: Sheet metal thickness gauge for steel is based on weight 41.82 pounds per square
foot per inch of thickness
B. Table!Content!and!Usage!
!
Issue
Advice
Provide clear table
title and headings
• All tables must have titles and headings that are concise and explanatory of
information presented.
• Headings must include units of measurements if applicable.
Practice information
integrity and
efficiency
• Table rows or columns must have an organized sequence so that they have an
internal logic. It is not always necessary or required to present information in the
order it was obtained.
• Tables should contain enough information such that the reader should not need
to refer to the text to understand the information displayed.
Verify that elements
included in the table
are relevant to the
narrative.
• Tables must be discussed in the text with a reference to the table number.
• If all elements of a table are not discussed in the text, then an abbreviated table
with important table elements is included in the text. The full table should be
included in an appendix with a brief note to that effect in the text.
!
! !
Thickness
(inches)
Weight Per Area
(lb/ft
2
)
0.0120
0.490
0.0157
0.640
0.0125
0.520
0.0100
0.141
Table&Number&
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Dr. Nadiye O. Erdil Last Revised: May 29, 2014
Page 2 of 3
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PITCH
Guidelines for Tables
C. Table!Format!
!
Component
Specification
Table Number
• Number tables consecutively through the text with Arabic numerals (1,2,3…)
preceded by the word “Table.”
• Capitalize the word “table.”
• Use this number when referring to the table in text.
Table Title
• Use unique titles for each table in a document.
• Write table titles directly after or below the table number.
• Capitalize each word in a table title except the words of, on, in, and, etc.
• Do not use a period at the end of a table title.
Headings
(column, row)
• Use unique headings for each group of data.
• Capitalize each word in a heading.
• Set all headings in bold.
• Include unit of measurement in headings if applicable.
• Use abbreviations in headings if necessary and if their meaning is clear to the
reader.
Table-Body
• Capitalize each word if the cells contain text.
• Be consistent in the number of decimal places within a column and within
comparable values elsewhere if information to be displayed can be formatted
in this manner.
• Align each cell content on the decimal point within a column if possible,
otherwise, align each cell in the center.
• Align each cell content on the left or in the center if data consists of text.
• Leave sufficient space between columns for column data to be distinct.
• Use symbols to indicate cell with absent data. For example:
! An em dash (—) for “no data available”;
! A hyphen (-) for “not applicable.”
• Do not use units in the table body (units must appear in the headings).
Notes to Tables
• Place notes underneath the table.
• Begin notes under the first column.
• Begin each note on a new line.
Lines
• Use lines (horizontal or vertical) only when necessary for clarity
• Use the following three horizontal lines always:
! Below the title, above column headings;
! Between the column headings and the body of the table;
! Bottom of the table.
• Use a horizontal line above a row of totals.
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Dr. Nadiye O. Erdil Last Revised: May 29, 2014
Page 3 of 3
!
PITCH
Guidelines for Tables
D. Examples!
Example 1:
Poorly Designed Table Improved Table !
Example 2:
Poorly Designed Table Improved Table