Tabulation of Data and Parts of a Table

A good statistical table is built from several standard parts; when these are put together systematically they form the table. Depending on how many characteristics are involved, tabulation may use one-way, two-way or three-way classification.

A well-constructed table should carry the following components, each described in the sub-sections that follow:

1. Table number — for identification.
2. Title — stating what the table contains.
3. Captions (column headings) — labelling the columns.
4. Stubs (row headings) — labelling the rows.
5. Body — the actual data.
6. Unit of measurement — the units in which the figures are given.
7. Source — where the data came from.
8. Note — explaining any special feature.

At its simplest, a table is data set out in rows and columns together with a few explanatory notes. …