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Mechanical Engineering: Tables & Figures

Overview

  • Tables provide data and/or information in a grid with rows and columns
  • Figures are any illustrations that are not tables - such as graphs, diagrams, charts, and photographs

For both Tables and Figures:

  • Place a citation number in square brackets directly after you mention it in your text, for example:
    • Many factors must be considered in order to avoid fracturing, including the properties of the materials shown in Table I [11].
    • The principle of non-maleficence is colloquially known as 'do no harm', comprising of a variety of factors detailed in Figure 2 [14].
  • The corresponding entry in your reference list will follow the format for the type of source the table or figure is from (e.g. book, journal article, website, etc.), for example:
    • [11] O. K. Oyewole et al., "Lamination of organic solar cells and organic light emitting devices: models and experiments," Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 118, no. 7, Aug. 2015. [Online]. Available: Applied Science and Technology Source, doi: 10.1063/1.4928729
    • [14] M. Milossi et al., "AI Ethics: Algorithmic Determinism or Self-Determination? The GPDR Approach," IEEE Access, vol. 9, Apr. 2021 [Online]. Available: IEEE Xplore, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3072782

Tables

Tables are labeled above the table in capital letters

  • The first line, centred over the table, will be TABLE plus the sequential number of the table as it appears in your paper, in roman numerals
  • The second line, also centred and in capital letters, is the descriptive caption for the table
    • Use additional lines if required to keep the title over the table and indented on both sides

Example:

Material Young's modulus (GPa) Poisson ratio References

TABLE I
PROPERTIES OF THE MATERIALS USED IN THE MODELING
Particle 70 0.3 7
MEH:PPV 11.5 0.3 10
PEDOT:PSS 1.56 0.3 10
P3HT:PCBM 6.02 0.35 14
Glass 69 0.3 15
PDMS 0.003 0.3 16, 17

Figures

Figures are labeled below the figure, in sentence case, and centred

  • 'Figure' is abbreviated to 'Fig.' and is followed by the sequential number of the figure as it appears in your paper
  • The figure number and the descriptive caption for the figure are on the same line
    • Use additional lines if required to keep the title under the figure and indented on both sides

Example:

Fig. 2.  Illustration of a non maleficent AI system.