Page 81 - How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 8th Edition 8th Edition

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Marginal Indicators

It is a good idea to identify in the margin of the text the location of the first reference to each table. Simply write
"Table 3" (for example) in the margin and circle it. This procedure is a good check to make sure that you have indeed
cited each table in the text, in numerical order. Mainly, however, this procedure provides flags so that the compositor,
at the page makeup stage, will know where to break the text to insert the tables. If you do not mark location, a
copyeditor will; however, the copyeditor might miss the first reference to a table, and the table could then be placed
far from the primary text mention of it. Moreover, you might want to make passing reference to a table early in the
paper but would prefer to have the table itself appear later in the paper. Only by your marginal notes will the
copyeditor and compositor know where you would like the table to appear.

Titles, Footnotes, and Abbreviations

The title of the table (or the legend of a figure) is like the title of the paper itself. That is, the title or legend should be
concise and not divided into two or more clauses or sentences. Unnecessary words should be omitted.

Give careful thought to the footnotes to your tables. If abbreviations must be defined, you often can give all or most
of the definitions in the first table. Then later tables can carry the simple footnote: "Abbreviations as in Table 1."

Note that "temp" (Tables 1, 2, 6, and 7) is used as an abbreviation for "temperature." Because of space limitations in
tables, almost all journals encourage abbreviation of certain words in tables that would not be abbreviated in the text.
Capitalize any such abbreviation used as the first word in a column heading; do not use periods (except after "no.").
Get into the habit of using the abbreviations in Appendix 2 so that you can

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lay out tables properly. This is particularly helpful in designing camera-ready tables.

Camera-Ready Copy

Once you have learned how to design effective tables, you can use modern word-processing equipment to prepare
camera-ready tables. More and more authors are doing this, either on their own or after being pushed by journal
editors. The advantages to the author, to the journal, and to the literature are substantial. A camera-ready table is
reproduced photographically, saving you the laborious chore of reading proof of the table. (The camera doesn't make
typographical errors.) The advantage to the journal is that the cost of reproducing the table has been reduced because
there is no need to keyboard the material, read proof, or make corrections. The advantage to the literature is that
published data will contain fewer errors. Any errors in your original copy will of course remain, but the ubiquitous
printer's errors of the past, to which tables were especially susceptible, can be avoided by submission of acceptable
camera-ready copy.
Other parts of the manuscript can also benefit from use of camera-ready copy. That way you will get what you want,
not what a copyeditor or compositor thinks you want. Camera-ready copy works beautifully for complicated
mathematical and physical formulas, chemical structures, portions of genetic maps, diagrams, and flow charts. Why
not try it?
One final caution: Be sure to read the Instructions to Authors for the journal to which you plan to submit your
manuscript before you put your tables in final form. The journal may well outline the types of tables it will accept, the
dimensions of tables, and other guidelines for preparing effective tables.

Most journals insist that each table be typed on a separate page and that the tables (and figures) be assembled at the
back of the manuscript. Tables should not be submitted as photographs.

Finally, "camera ready" means just that. The page must be clean (no smudges or extraneous marks). The ink should be

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