Table Specifications

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Table Specifications

Here are the criteria for the preparation of tables, as specified by the Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science:

  • Write table titles at the top of the table.
  • Number tables sequentially with Roman numerals.
  • Include the following information in a title, whenever possible: who, what, where, why and when.
  • Put the independent variable in the left column, and the dependent variable in the right, if you are listing data with independent and dependent variables.
  • Label each column with the appropriate units.
  • Adequately space tables that appear on the same page.
Example:

    Table I Patient specimens analyzed for blood urea nitrogen on the Dimension RxL and the Vitros 250 at City Hospital
    Sample #RxL (mg/dL urea)Vitros 250 (mg/dl) urea
    18.88.8
    211.210.0
    312.413.6
    416.213.2
    520.021.2
    625.020.0
    728.826.2
In this case, the Dimension RxL is the "reference method" and is considered the independent variable, while the Vitros 250 is the "test method" and is considered the dependent variable.