2.1.1. Types of tables

The Oxford English dictionary defines a table as "a set of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns".

Three main types of tables I distinguish (although variations on these exist) are:

• Frequency tables
• Grouped frequency tables
• Contingency tables

A frequency table simply lists the possible values and the corresponding frequencies (counts). Table 2 shows an example of a simple frequency table.

Table 2
Example of a Frequency Table

Gender	Frequency
Female	28
Male	21

A grouped frequency table is similar as a frequency table but now the data has been grouped into classes, to avoid long tables. Table 3 shows and example of a grouped frequency table.

Table 3
Example of a Grouped Frequency Table

Income	Frequency
0 < 10	8
10 < 20	12
20 < 50	22
50 or more	5

A contingency table (or cross table) shows two variables; one in the rows and the other in the columns as for example shown in Table 4.

Table 4
Example of a Cross Table

	Gender
Income	Female	Male
0 < 10	4	6
10 < 20	8	12
20 < 50	10	13
50 or more	7	5

Next entry: About constructing tables in general

2.1.4. Using technology to create tables

Excel

In Excel you can use the function COUNTIF or FREQUENCY to generate frequency tables. A third method might be to use a Pivot table.

The video below shows how you can use the COUNTIF and FREQUENCY functions.

 

SPSS

A basic frequency table in SPSS can easily be generated using either:

• Analyze - Descriptive statistics - Frequencies or
• Analyze - Tables - Custom tables.

To generate a cross table in SPSS you can use either:

• Analyze - Descriptive statistics - Crosstabs or
• Analyze - Tables - Custom tables.

To generate a table from a list of questions all using the same scale you can use:

• Analyze - Tables - Custom tables

To create a table from a question where multiple answers were allowed, you will need to create a 'set' that lets SPSS know which questions were part of the multiple answer question. This can be done either by:

• Analyze - Tables - Multiple Response Sets or
• Analyze - Multiple Response - Define Variable Sets

To create a grouped frequency table in SPSS you will need to recode the variable into the categories. SPSS can do this either by using:

• Transform - Recode into Different Variables or
• Transform - Visual Binning

Below are some instructional videos for each of the above mentioned tables.

Basic frequency table

Cross tables

Table for same categories/scale

Table for multiple answer questions

Grouped frequency table

TI-83

On a TI-83 graphical calculator you can enter a frequency table.  You will need to create the seperate columns in the STAT - Edit menu.

For the cumulative frequency you can enter as a function for the column under 2nd - LIST - OPS the cumSum( option.

For the relative frequency you will need the sum of the frequency column. You can find the sum function under 2nd - LIST - MATH.

A video showing an example is shown below.

Video: Frequency table with TI-83

>> Next section: Side notes on tables and frequencies