Tables and figures
Table I. Parts of a table Stub Column heading 1 Column heading 2 Column heading 3 Column heading 4 Row identifier 1 Row identifier 2 BODY Row identifier 3 Footnote
Tables: Guidelines Actual numbers, percentages Mutually exclusive groups 15-45, 45-60 <45, >45 No blank spaces (0, na, nd) Units of measure Decimals (? to which place)
Tables: Guidelines Stand alone No repetition with text or figures Complete Accurate No rules except to separate column headings
Text or Tables Number of items Few variables: Text Many variables: Table
Example Staph aureus (8), Str viridans (8), Str faecalis (2) Bacteria n stool urine blood Strep aureus 12 6 0 6 Str viridans 4 1 1 2 Str faecalis 2 2 0 0 Pseudomonas 8 1 7 0 E coli 9 3 4 2 S typhi 0 0 0 0
Tables: Common errors Title: none, too long, too brief Effect of adrenaline on cirrhotic and noncirrhotic rats at 20, 40 and 60 days Effect of adrenaline on cirrhotic and noncirrhotic rats Adrenaline and rats
Example
Example Characteristic Which group does it relate to
Example
Example LNF? CNF???? What do data in paranthesis mean?
Example
Figures Types Graphs Photographs Flow charts Location in relation to IMRAD structure Results Methods: technique, study design
Figures Purpose-specific Graphs Line: usually event in relation to time Bar: comparisons Pie: parts of a whole Histogram: frequency distribution Scatter: associations between variables
Figures Photographs, pictures Technique Before and after Show an event Flow charts Process, sequence, systems Algorithms
Figures What do I want to say? Is there a better method? Type of figure? Less better than more Only if necessary
Table or figure Prefer tables Use figures only for illustrative Bar, histogram, pie:? table Difference in written and oral communication
Example: Figure Per cent 24 Fig. 2 23 16 16 12 8 9 7 7 4 5 5 Indian Content Layout Printing Appearance Style Overall standard Criterion Indian Foreign
Example: Table Table: Judgements of 75 journals by Indian and foreign reviewers Criterion % (no.) reaching international standard Foreign reviewers Indian reviewers Content 24 (18) 8 (6) Layout 16 (12) 12 (9) Printing 16 (12) 7 (5) Appearance 9 (7) 7 (5) Style 23 (17) 4 (3) Overall standard 5 (4) 5 (4)
Figure: in place of text Intraperitoneal inoculation of 1 X 10 6 DLA cells (day 0) Study design Treatment (d 1,2,3) Observation Days 0 1 2 3 4 30 Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Vehicle Total alkaloid fraction (5 mg/kg/d) Total alkaloid fraction (10 mg/kg/d) Total alkaloid fraction (20 mg/kg/d) Methotrexate (3.4 mg/kg/d) (Positive control)
Figure: Guidelines 2 axes: 2 types of information Curves: not more than 5 lines, thick Label axes: quantity, units Start axes at 0 (except log scale) Simple symbols (, ) not, Crossing curves: show break
Figures: Guides Good contrast Label Stain used Mask identity: consent Magnification and scale No clips or staples Use colour, if absolutely essential
Figure: Legend Write on separate sheet Not on back of figure Brief but complete Explain label Full form of abbreviations
Figure: Back of Write TOP and mark Name of first author Brief title of article Figure number Use soft pencil
Pie diagrams 5 15 5 15 30 50 50 Normal Mild Moderate Severe 30 Normal Moderate Mild Severe
Bar diagrams 50 Serum HCG levels 60 40 30 20 10 0 A B C D E Serum HCG levels 40 20 0 A B C D E Study group Ink to paper ratio: No wasted ink principle
Bar diagrams 50 Others Serum HCG levels 40 30 20 10 0 A B C D E Cause of death Infection Cardiac Coronary Tumors 0 20 40 60 Study group Mortality rate per 100000 Mortality rate 60 50 40 30 20 10 Mortality rate 125 100 75 50 25 Stroke Ca lung Coronary 0 Coronary Ca lung Stroke 0 Smokers Non-smokers Cause of death Cause of death
Histogram 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0-199 200-399 400-599 600-799 800-999 1000-1199 1200-1399 1400-1599 1600-1799 1800-1999 2000-2199 2200-2399 2400-2599 T4 count (cells/mm3) Number of patients
Figure: Inadequate Poor contrast No labels
Figure: Improved Right atrium Narrowing Inferior vena cava Hepatic vein
Figure: Example
Dot-plot diagrams 1600 JRA vs. normal, p<0.001 JRA vs. RA, p<0.001 IL-8 (pg/ml) 1200 800 400 0 Normal (n=11) RA (n=10) JRA (n=19)
Line diagrams (before-after data) pg/ml 10 4 MTX pg/ml 10 4 Placebo 10 3 10 3 100 100 10 10 1 0 wk 4 wk 1 0 wk 4 wk
Laboratory data Lane 1 2 3 4 5 6 200 125 75 Undigested (387) 247 140 111 50 Lane 1: Molecular weight marker 2: Undigested PCR product 3: Wild type control 4: Homozygous control 5: Heterozygous control 6: Patient #1
Changes with time
Bubble plot Marcellin et al. New Engl J Med 2003; 348: 808-16
Time course/survival data Shrestha et al. New Engl J Med 2007.
Temporal profile Days after onset 126 112 98 84 70 56 42 28 14 0 HEV RNA -ve HEV RNA +ve 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Patient serial number
Complex graphs
Summary Illustrations: adjuncts Convey a message Various types: use appropriately Ask: Is it needed? Simple, consistent, clear, focussed, visually effective
Recommend Look at recent issue of journal Use a similar published table/figure as a template Read journal instructions Read Vancouver style (www.icmje.org)
Bar Charts Mortality rate 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% Smokers Non-smokers Cause of death Coronary Ca lung Stroke Response to treatment 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% A B C Group Worsened Unchanged Improved Normal