Tables and figures are useful in your assignment writing because they can summarise data or complex information in a more readable way. However, you should only use them if they assist the reader in understanding.
What's the difference between a table and a figure?
There are different writing conventions for tables and figures:
Tables have vertical columns and horizontal rows.
Figures include all other graphic representations, e.g. graphs, pie charts, diagrams, maps, photographs.
Positioning tables and figures
Here are some tips for finding the most effective place in your assignment for tables and figures:
Place tables and figures as close to the relevant text as possible.
Try to make each table or figure fit onto one page, changing to landscape orientation if necessary. If it won’t fit onto one page, begin at the top of a page and continue on following pages.
Don’t leave a large blank space on a page. If you discuss a table that appears on the following page, just refer to the table and continue with your text.
If you have a very large table or figure, consider simplifying it to illustrate the key data. Put complex, raw data in an appendix.
Each table and each figure needs to be numbered sequentially, even if you only have one.
Titles, labels and legends
The way that you provide titles and labels depends on the referencing style you have been asked to use for your assignment. We recommend that you use Easy Cite to help you with this. However, some general rules are:
Tables and figures all need brief but informative titles (don’t be creative).
Titles for tables are generally written above the table; titles for figures are usually written below the figure (check your assignment instructions for which referencing style to use).
If your table covers more than one page, begin each subsequent page with the table number and write ‘continued’. For example: Table 4 (continued).
Label the axes of graphs, and of columns and rows in tables, in order to clearly show units of measurement or analysis.
Use legends where necessary to define symbols, abbreviations or terminology.
Referring to tables and figures in your text
Keep in mind that your writing must refer to each table or figure. We do this by referring to them in the text by ‘Table 1’, Figure 5’, etc., not by their titles. Remember that tables and figures are included to complement the information that you have written in your text, not to replace it.
You can do this by using your writing to:
interpret the table or figure
highlight the main or important points
highlight any unusual or unexpected findings
show relationships between data
draw attention to a relationship or trend
summarise information in the table or figure.
Here are some ways of introducing tables and figures to your text:
Identify the table number first and make some statement about it.For example: The data in Table 5.4 indicates that...
Use ‘as’, either at the beginning or end of the sentence.As shown in Table 3.3, student satisfaction increased by 20 per cent in 2022.
The number of students who withdrew from their course decreased in 2024, as shown in Figure 3.8.
Use the passive voice.Further demographic and contextual data of the PhD (thesis) candidates are shown in Table 4.1.
Refer to the table or figure in brackets at the end of the sentence.If the market continues on its current trend, spending will need to be decreased significantly (Figure 3.3).
Test your knowledge
Answer these three questions to test what you have learnt.
