What do you do when words just aren’t enough?
For subjects outside of the Humanities, including STEM disciplines such as mathematics, physical sciences, and engineering, using tables and figures throughout your writing can effectively break-up longer pieces of text by presenting useful data and statistics. Within the Humanities, the incorporation of multimodal elements is championed in UCI courses (Humanities Core!), and can aid in your construction or support of an argument. But what are some things to keep in mind when including these components alongside your written work?
When incorporating tables and figures into writing, you’ll want to be mindful of the:
- Discipline
- Clarity
- Language
- Captions
Who Needs a Table or Figure?
What is the best way to convey the information you have to a reader? What discipline are you working in? How best can you visualize the data you would like to share?
Starting with these questions (or others like it) is a great place to begin when thinking about whether or not to include tables and figures in your writing. While incorporating the following into research or lab reports for a STEM related course may seem like a no-brainer, you’ll still want to examine what kind of data you’ll want to share with your audience or reader and what is the best way (table or figure) to present it. With your audience in mind, think about their expectations as well as your ability to present your data in the most effective, concise, and efficient manner possible.
Synthesize versus Visualize
The incorporation of tables into your writing often serves as one method for synthesizing information, including existing literature, or to explain variables or present the wording of a specific kind of data (e.g., the wording of survey questions) (UNC). In contrast, figures (images, charts, graphs (pie charts, line graphs, etc.*[1])) are the visual representation of results (UNC). They can be used to provide a visual component or impact and can effectively communicate primary findings such as the relationship (patterns or trends), between two variables (UNC).
Think of figures like you would paragraphs. If you have several important things to say, consider making more than one table or figure, or incorporating other visual elements, one for each important idea that you would like to share. No matter what, strive for clarity! Don’t put too much information on your tables or figures, making them crowded or difficult to follow. Likewise, do use consistent elements (such as a uniform font) in your tables or figures so as to not distract your reader or audience.
Let’s go through a few other Dos and Don’ts for incorporating tables and figures into your writing!
Dos
-
use a table or figure in your writing as a method of making your data more concise and presentable.
-
use tables and figures to enhance or supplement the text. They should be self-explanatory.
- be sure that your tables and figures reflect your data accurately.
Don’ts
- incorporate a table or figure just because you want to reach the page minimum for an assignment.
- use a table or figure solely for aesthetic purposes. This may backfire, as it could demonstrate to your reader that you do not have a solid grasp on the requirements or expectations of the assignment or discipline.
- repeat data already shown on one table or figure.
Remember that this is not an exhaustive list. Strive for clarity whenever you decide to incorporate tables or figures into your writing!
How Tables and Figures Interact with Text
Although tables and figures must be able to stand alone, without additional information provided in the text, it is recommended that you reference your tables and figures within the text, reinforcing your decision to incorporate them into your writing.
To refer to tables and figures from within the text, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests beginning your sentences with:
- Clauses beginning with “as”: “As shown in Table 1, …”
- A Passive voice: “Results are shown in Table 1.”
- An Active voice (if appropriate for your discipline): “Table 1 shows that …”
- A Parentheses: “Each sample tested positive for three nutrients (Table 1).”
Another way that tables and figures interact with text is in the captions. Captions should be concise, descriptive, and comprehensive. They should describe what is being shown, draw attention to important features, and, sometimes, may also include interpretations of the data or results (UNC). Figures are typically read from left to right, top to bottom, but for additional formatting information, reference the citation style guide used for your specific assignment. We recommend using Purdue Owl as a resource for additional clarification.
Check out these Dos and Don’ts surrounding the interaction between tables, figures, and texts!
Dos
-
clarify any abbreviations you use within the text or in your captions.
-
consider incorporating your data into the text instead of using a table or figure if there is simple or less data to show.
Don’ts
- clarify any abbreviations you use within the text or in your captions.
- repeat data or information already summarized in the text.
Tables, and Figures, and Blog Posts, Oh My! Visit the Writing Center for additional assistance on using tables and figures in your writing!
Works Cited
“Figures and Charts.” The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 8 Dec. 2023, writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-
“Spring: Multimodal Presentation Tools.” UCI Humanities Core, core.humanities.uci.edu/index.
Utilizing Tables, Figures, Charts and Graphs to Enhance the Readability of a Research Paper – PMC, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
[1] This is not an exhaustive list; don’t forget X, Y scatter plots or XY line graphs are also great examples!