Advantages and Rules of Tabulation
Advantages of
Tabulation
1. The large mass of confusing data is
easily reduced to reasonable form, that is understandable to kind.
2. The data once arranged in a suitable
form, gives the condition of the situation at a glance, or gives a bird eye view.
3. From the table it is easy to draw some
reasonable conclusion or inferences.
4. Tables gave grounds for analysis of the
data.
5. Errors, and omission if any are always
detected in tabulation.
Therefore the
importance of a carefully drawn table is vital for the preparation of data for
analysis and interpretation.
Rules of
Tabulation
Following are
some of the general rules which one should observe while constructing the
tables.
1. The table should be self-explanatory
and easy to understand. It should not be such as necessitates to read the
footnotes or the explanation so as to properly understand a table.
2. Each table should have a title which
should be written above the tables. The title should preferable be in block
letters. This title should be simple and self-explanatory. It should not be
such which necessitates to complete in itself or consult footnotes etc.
3. If the data is very large, it should
not be put in a single table, because it would increase the chances of
mistakes, such data should be presented into a number of tables. Each table
thus framed should be completed in itself and should serve a particular
purpose.
4. The size of the table should suit the
size of the paper and, therefore, it is better to decide the width of the
columns before it setting.
5. Thick lines should be drawn to separate
one class of data from the other and thin lines to separate subdivisions of
classes.
6. Main headings should be few in number,
so that, they may not confuse the mind.
7. The columns whose data are going to be
compared should be kept side by side.
8. Approximations should be made before
tabulating the data.
9. Captions (headings or sub-headings of
the columns) and stubs (headings and sub-headings of the rows) should be
self-explanatory.
10. The units of measurement under each
heading or sub-heading should be clearly mentioned.
11. The total of the rows should be given in
the extreme right column and the total of the column at the foot.
12. For the purpose of comparison, items
should be arranged either in alphabetical, geographical, chronological order or
according to size, importance, emphasis or casual relationship to facilitate
comparison.
13. If some position of the collected data
cannot be classified in any class, then they should be tabulated separately
under the heading miscellaneous.
14. Each table constructed should have
separate heading which should clearly tell what this table actually presents.
15. If certain figures are to be given some
importance, then these should be placed in a box or circle.
Although some of
the rules are framed which actually guide the investigator in tabulating the
data, yet there cannot be any rigidity about these rules. The table constructed
should be such which suits the needs and requirements of the problem under
investigation.
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