======= Date Modified 22 34 2010 11:34:16 =======
This is probably painfully obvious to everyone else, but....

I'm using lots of tables within my methodology sections, listing reagents, mixes etc. Do I need to formally label them (Table 1.2 etc) and have them within the table lists? It's just that there are so many and they're so basic :s

ps - please excuse the spelling error in the title, I blame Mondays.

I'd ask your supervisor if I was you. But I'd assume yes you need to label them.

Cheers Bilbo, I suspected as much (this is going to be one big table index!)

Hi Teek,

I'd agree with BilboBaggins. All tables should be labelled no matter how basic they are.

(up)

Hi Teek,

It's good/common practice that all tables, graphs, figures etc. be fully labeled (and referenced accordingly if you've 'borrowed' or modified them from a paper or book) and then listed in your table/figure lists at the start of your thesis. But here's something I think you need to ask yourself and perhaps discuss with your supervisor:

If all these tables are so "basic" and just things like reagents etc. do you really need them? I'm a scientist (biochemistry) and I'm not sure if every university has the same rules, but basically I was told that if it's just simple, very common reagents/protocols you've used then it's fine to simply write something along the lines of: "reagent X was prepared exactly as described by Smith et al. 1998" and/or "the protocol was performed as described by Smith et al. 1999, except that reagent X was heated to 75 degrees C instead of 65..."

You get the idea right!? There's certainly no need to list every reagent and kit you use - that's very old fashioned, unless everything you're doing is completely novel.

Thanks Nick,
It's a good point. The methods I'm using are fairly standard, however the specifics of them (how long temperatures are applied in PCR stages, the exact proportions of standard reagents used, and so on) are very variable, someone will have used the same as me at some point, but it wouldn't be worth tracking down. The tables just give a more user-friendly display of some fairly basic info.