AMA

USE TEXT

• Describe a simple relationship between data
• Present  quantitative data clearly and briefly

USE A TABLE

• Show complex relationships between numbers/data
• Show individual number precisely
• Display many numbers together
• Show detail item-to-item comparisons

USE A FIGURE

• Show changes in data over time
• Highlight patterns/trends in data
• Help in decision-making

AMA provides specific guidelines to use statistical data in graphs (p. 130-167 manual).

The following six elements are required for a table

1 Object Identifier

• If there is more than 1 table, each table must be identified.
  • Ex. : Table 1, Table 2.
• If there is one table, refer to it in the text as "Table

2 Title  

• Use article title capitalization 
• Use a descriptive title
• The word "Table #" must be included and in bold.
  • Ex.: Table 5. Prevalence of Falls in Older Patients with Binocular Vision Disorders

3 Column Heading

• Are in bold, sentence case
• Terms used in the text must be consistent in the heading

4 Row Headings

• Are left-justified

5 Body

• These are the cells within the table

6 Footnotes

• A footnote that applies to the entire table must be placed at the end of the table. See pg. 124 of the manual for other variations
• Footnotes should be reported as full sentences and end with a period
• Within the footnote use superscript letter to indicate the order of the notes.
• If there is a long footnote, the use of 2 columns is preferred