How to write and publish a scientific paper - Barbara Gastel, Robert A. Day 2022

Following the journal’s instructions
How to design effective tables
Preparing the tables and figures

Instructions to authors commonly include a section about tables. Before preparing your tables, check the instructions to authors of your target journal. These instructions may indicate such items as the dimensions of the space available, the symbols or form of lettering for indicating footnotes to tables, and the electronic tools to use in preparing tables. Looking at tables in the journal as examples also can aid in preparing suitable tables.

Style manuals in the sciences provide guidance in preparing not only text, but also tables and figures. If your target journal specifies a style manual that it follows, consult it in this regard. Even if the journal does not specify a style manual, looking at one relevant to your field can aid considerably in preparing effective tables and figures.

Traditionally, journals have asked authors to submit each table on a separate page at the end of the text. In addition, some journals have said to identify in the margin of the text the first mention of each table, for example, by writing “Table 3” and circling it. This procedure helps ensure that the author has indeed cited each table in the text, in numerical order. It also indicates to the compositor, at the page makeup stage, where to break the text to insert the tables. Today, some journals ask authors to embed tables in the text near their first mention. And some journals ask authors to submit tables as separate files. To determine whether tables should be placed within the text, placed at the end, or provided in separate files (and to determine how, if requested, to indicate their placement), consult the instructions to authors.