Caption
Also called: Column heading · Topic: Economic Data: Census, NSS, Surveys and Statistical Tools · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 4 "Presentation of Data"
Meaning
The caption is the heading at the top of each column in a statistical table. It tells the reader what the figures in that column stand for, and it can include the unit. A table may have main captions with sub-captions under them.
Example
In a table of Census 2011 literacy for ages 7 and above, the column headings "Rural", "Urban" and "Total" are the captions. The column under "Urban" shows 90% for males and 80% for females.
Don't confuse with
- Stub: this is the heading of each row, such as "Male", "Female" and "Total". Stubs sit in the left-hand column, called the stub column. Captions head the columns and stubs head the rows.
Related concepts
- Raw data
- Classification
- Chronological classification
- Spatial classification
- Qualitative classification
- Quantitative classification
- Attribute
- Continuous variable
- Discrete variable
- Frequency