Tabular presentation
Also called: Tabulation · Topic: Economic Data: Census, NSS, Surveys and Statistical Tools · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 4 "Presentation of Data"
Meaning
Tabular presentation, or tabulation, arranges data in rows and columns. It makes data easy to compare. It also prepares the data for further statistical work, such as finding averages. A table can classify data in one way, two ways or three ways. A good table has a table number, title, captions (column headings), stubs (row headings), body, unit of measurement, source and note.
Example
Census 2011 literacy for ages 7 and above (%):
| Rural | Urban | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 79 | 90 | 82 |
| Female | 59 | 80 | 65 |
| Total | 68 | 84 | 74 |
This is a two-way table, because it classifies by sex and by area. The gap between rural women (59%) and urban men (90%) stands out at once.
Don't confuse with
- Textual presentation: this puts data in sentences. It suits only small amounts of data and must be read in full. A table can be scanned quickly.
Related concepts
- Raw data
- Classification
- Chronological classification
- Spatial classification
- Qualitative classification
- Quantitative classification
- Attribute
- Continuous variable
- Discrete variable
- Frequency