Guide for Authors

Tables

Sample Table and Caption

Preparing Tables for Submission

Footnotes in Tables

Incorporating Tables into the Text

Tables are used for reporting extensive numerical data in an organized manner. Tables should be self-explanatory. The data presented in tables should neither be duplicated in figures nor reviewed extensively in the text, but each table must be introduced in the text. Please observe the following points:

·  Number the tables consecutively and refer to them in the text as table 1, table 2, etc.

·  Do not include excessive text in the column headings. Place explanatory information in the table caption, in the manuscript text, or in a footnote at the bottom of the table.

·  Supply a descriptive caption for each table. The caption can be a sentence fragment or up to two sentences long.

·  Use no more digits than the accuracy of the method justifies. Do not include columns of data that can be easily calculated from other columns.

Preparing Tables for Submission

For Transactions of the ASAE and Applied Engineering in Agriculture, prepare each table to fit either the 19.5 pica (3.25 inch) text column or the 40.5 pica (6.75 inch) page width. Design the table to make efficient use of space, and keep in mind that full-page-width tables increase page charges. For the Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, make the tables no wider than 28 picas (4.7 inches). Keep the following points in mind:

·  Prepare tables in electronic form using software that is compatible with the text of your manuscript. Each table must be in a form that can be edited. Do not submit tables in a graphic format.

· Use 8-point Times New Roman for all text within a table, and use horizontal rules to separate elements within a table. You may need to place additional rules under subheads or under heads that span two or more columns, and you may need to insert blank columns to achieve this (as in the sample table above).

· If you are not familiar with your software's table functions, type the table text using tabs to separate columns and returns to separate rows. Do not use column breaks to create tables. Set the tabs so that the "table" alignment is legible. We will convert this text to a true table as part of the production process.

If you have questions about preparing tables for submission, feel free to ask us for assistance. Contact Pat Howard at 269-429-0300, ext. 349, or e-mail: howard@asabe.org.

Footnotes in Tables

Assign footnotes to elements within a table in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom sequence.

· Use bracketed superscripted letters (^[a], ^[b], ^[c], etc.) for explanatory footnotes within the table (as in the sample table above).

·  Use asterisks (*, **) to indicate statistical significance, and explain the significance in a corresponding footnote.

·  Use lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.) to indicate statistical relationships among elements within a table, and explain the relationships in a footnote.

Incorporating Tables into the Text

Insert each table into your manuscript after the paragraph that first mentions it. Every table must be explicitly mentioned in the text. References in the text may use any of these forms:

Refer to table 5

As listed in table 5

(table 4)

Note that the word "table" is not capitalized, except at the beginning of a sentence.