Tables and figures demonstrate relationships among data and other types of information. A well-structured table is perhaps the most efficient way to convey a large amount of data in a scientific manuscript. Consider: as text, the same information may take considerably more space; if presented in a figure, key details and precise values may be less apparent.
A textual table or box contains words, phrases, or sentences, often in list form. Boxes are used to emphasise key points, summarise information, and/or reduce the narrative text.
See the AMA Manual on Tables, Figures and Multimedia for more information.
[4.1.4]
Object identifier: Each table should have an object identifier in bold (eg, Table, Figure, Box).
Number: Figures, tables and boxes are given a number in bold. Number them sequentially, according to their order of appearance in the text and the type of figure (e.g. Box 1, Box 2, Table 1, Table 2, Figure 1, Figure 2...). Please note papers that contain a single figure or table use the designator "Table" or "Figure" (not "Table 1" or "Figure 1").
Title: Provide a brief descriptive title as a phrase rather than a sentence. The title should be capitalised (e.g. The Six-Stage Model of Public Health Planning).
Citations: Use superscript numericals to indicate citations and cite the source in your reference list ( e.g. 12.6% overall population.10 ).
Footnotes/ Legends: Use a footnote or legend to expand on information and abbreviations contained in the table/figure. Use sentence format. The order of the footnotes will follow the positioning of the information in the table. Footnotes are indicated with superscript lowercase letters in alphabetical order (a-z).
When using previously published table, figure or photograph, the original source should be cited in the legend using terminology that applies to weather you copied, modified or performed a calculation ( e.g. Adapted from..., Data derived from... etc.). Examples:
From Australian Medical Association, copyright 2020 7
Reprinted with permission from the by Australian Academy of Science10
[4.1.4]
Downloaded from AMA Manual of Style. © American Medical Association
[4.2.7.1] Displaying figures in a written work (essay, report etc): When setting out figures in your document, position them as close to the referring text as possible and place a line above the title. The figure legend is written in sentence format and printed below or next to the figure. It will also contain citations if you reproduced any information from another source. See example below.
Downloaded from AMA Manual of Style. © American Medical Association
Referencing within tables, figures and boxes
Continue numbering based on what has been used in the main text. If the last number used in the text was 3, then the first citation in your table/figure/box will be 4 (unless it is the same source just used, in which case it will be 3 again). The sequence of superscript numericals within a table should be logical and consistent.
If the entire table, figure or box has been taken from (or represents information taken from) the same source, place the superscript number at the end of the title (see Table 1 below)
When both a footnote letter and reference number follow data within a table, set the reference number first, followed by a comma and the footnote letter (e.g. population.10, c see Table 2 below):
______________________________________________________
Table 1. Leading Causes of Mortality in Australia in 2018.4
| Males | Heart disease |
| Females | Alzheimer disease |
______________________________________________________
Table 2. Incidence of Asthma in Queensland and Tasmania 2018
| Queensland | Tasmania |
| 11% of children 0-4 years.7 | 12.2% of children and young people.8, |
| 10.6% overall population.9 | 12.6% overall population.10, c |
Tables and images from books and journals
Web images
Notes:
Reference list