Statistical Standards Program
Table of Contents Introduction 1. Development of Concepts and Methods 2. Planning and Design of Surveys 3. Collection of Data 4. Processing and Editing of Data 5. Analysis of Data / Production of Estimates or Projections 6. Establishment of Review Procedures 7. Dissemination of Data Glossary Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C ·Sample Table ·Introduction ·Major Types of Tables ·Tabular Format ·Table Titles ·Boxheads ·Table Stub ·Body ·Tabular Notes ·Sizing a Table ·Appendix Appendix D Publication information For help viewing PDF files, please click here |
APPENDIX C: NCES GUIDELINES FOR TABULAR PRESENTATIONS (2002 Edition) |
The stub consists of a heading and the line captions that are listed at the left side of a table and describe each row of figures in the field. Capitalize only the first letter of the first word and the first letters of any proper nouns in both the stub heading and the line captions. Always provide a stub heading that describes, defines, or amplifies the stub captions. Use a word such as "Item" or "Characteristic" for a collection of stub entries that defy brief classification: When the stub is too long for one page and must be continued on another page, the continuation should also be placed at the left side of the second page. For a double-page spread, the stub in this sample survey example should be repeated on the right side of the right-hand page. Line numbers may be substituted for the right-hand stub if space is tight. (See Double-Page-Spread Tables.)
Convention requires year entries showing trends to run sequentially from earliest to latest. Stub entries consisting entirely of years are centered in the area allotted to the stub. Indentation in the Stub
For example: Vertical Spacing in the Stub When available vertical space is tight, reducing the height of blank lines can minimize normal spacing. The absolute in minimum spacing allows removal of all blank lines between stub captions, and then bolding total and all major group (subtotal) captions. Subordinate items under a group caption are usually single-spaced except when there is a long list of such items. Then it is best, if space permits, to group them by three, four, five, or more items with a blank "reader" line between groups. Boldface type Wording and Punctuation in the Stub Leaders Leaders are always omitted after stub captions without entries opposite them in the field. They are almost always omitted in the duplicate stub at the far side of the right-hand page of a double-page spread. Line Numbers In a double-page-spread table the line numbers should be repeated on the right-hand page, as the last column two spaces to the right of the longest line of the duplicate stub. If space is very limited, use line numbers only (omitting the duplicate stub), matching them with the line numbers of the stub on the left-hand page. The illustrations below use sample survey data to show how to use line numbers in a normal double-page-spread table and in one in which space is limited. Continuations For example: |