Identify and discuss the steps in reading a table.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

? Carefully read the title. A good title will inform the reader of exactly what is being presented.
? The headnote—section appearing in parentheses below the title—should be examined. This explains exactly what the numbers we are looking at represent.
? Another very important item for the reader to note is the source from which the data in the table were drawn.
? Footnotes contain additional information that may be of importance in judging the data presented in the tables.
? Read the subheads, or stubs, as a guide to the information in the columns and rows. Similar to columns in a building, table columns run vertically while rows run horizontally. The subhead for rows appears in the far upper left-hand corner, and each subcategory runs down the left-hand side of the table.
? Another useful statistic to look for is the general overall average and range (variation from high to low) in the data.
? Examine the fluctuation of this range and/or average within each category of the dependent variable (type of victimization).
? Examination of marginals or column and row totals is useful in obtaining a general overview of effects.
? Finally, those reading tables should examine each cell and look for inconsistent elements.