Guidelines for Effective Use of Tables and Figures in Academic Writing

1. Pointers for Papers

2. Using Tables & Figures Tables and Figures need: • A number and title (usually at top) • Refer to table by table number in the text. • A source (usually at the bottom) • To be on one page if possible • To be same font throughout • Copying and pasting may not be the way to go • If difficult to reproduce, cut and paste but • Don’t copy unneeded text • Crop to an appropriate size • Still need a number, title and source • Carefully label so the units are clear • Make sure all tables are formatted in the same way

3. Using Tables & Figures Table 1: Title Source: …… Source is in smaller font

4. Using Tables & Figures Integrate numbers into text • Don’t have reader flip back to tables to get numbers. • Text must stand alone and tables support. • e.g. • Between 1970 and 2000 the infant mortality rate dropped 40 percent from 100 to 60 deaths per 1000 live births. as apposed to • The infant mortality rate dropped.

5. Other Common Problems • Tell what the percent is a percent of. • HIV rate is 50% • is this 50% of adults, all population ? • Careful of use of quotes. • Quotes are used help prove a point. • Not to describe something. • You do this in your own words and then cite the source. • Seems like you are too lazy to write description in own words.

6. Other Common Problems • Use citations. • If you have a number in the text and don’t have a blanket statement about where numbers come from, you need to give a citation. • Citations are done incorrectly in text • Use the style from the American Economic Review • Look at examples to get it right • Typical in economics • (last name author date) if one author • ( last name author 1 and last name author 2 date) if two authors • ( last name first author et al. date) if more than 2 authors

7. Other Tips • Read over your work carefully • Check for missing prepositions • Misspellings • Incorrect capitalization • Pay attention to formatting • Make sure headings aren’t at bottom of page • Put a page break so on top of next page • Leave appropriate spacing between sections • Watch out for long paragraphs • Watch out for long, wordy sentences • Have someone else read your paper to help you edit it

8. Other Tips • Don’t repeat the same word or verbs too many times • especially in the same sentence or paragraph • Get a grammar book and learn how to • do word lists • use ; • when to use , • Look at published writing to learn how to do something if you are not sure • e.g. how to do a table • Don’t use abbreviations • Stats, yrs, Euro area

9. Other Tips • Data needs to be comparable across countries • Number of cases not appropriate • Country with less population will have less cases • Make things a rate or per capita • These are not opinion pieces • any claims about the health care system is substantiated (i.e. needs a citation) • No need to overstate the facts • Your country does not need to have the best outcomes • You description in words of the change or difference in indicators as to match the magnitude of the change

10. Other Tips • No need to overstate the facts • Your country does not need to have the best outcomes • You description in words of the change or difference in indicators needs to match the magnitude of the change • If Canada as 2.18 doctors per 1000 people and US has 2.45 doctors per 1000 people you wouldn’t want to say there is a big difference. • Use appropriate verbs • The health care system increased (?) The health care system improved • Ireland has smaller figures that Germany (?) Ireland has lower mortality rates than German