Key points: ● Make sure your tables have a clear purpose. ● Use a layout that maximizes readability. ● Take care with selecting which data to include. ● Simplify as much as possible without introducing bias. ● Make sure numbers and decimals are displayed with clarity.  Researcher's guide for the preparation of tables by Siv Fonnes and Jacob Rosenberg This article, published in the Journal of Surgical Research  in 2025 , applies to reporting quantitative research but some p