Tables & Figures (amj-tables-figures)
When to trigger
- Result tables are cluttered, hard to read, or not self-explanatory
- The correlation/descriptives table is missing reliabilities or has inconsistent decimals
- Interaction effects are reported only in text, not plotted
- The theoretical model has no figure, or the figure does not match the hypotheses
- Tables/figures are off AOM house style (verify the current AMJ Style Guide for Authors)
The exhibits an AMJ paper expects
- Means, SDs, and correlations table — typically Table 1; reliabilities on the diagonal in parentheses; note significance.
- Main results table(s) — regression/SEM/HLM, organized by nested models (controls → main effects → interactions), with standardized or unstandardized coefficients consistently labeled.
- Theoretical model figure — boxes and arrows mapping one-to-one to the hypotheses (H1, H2, …).
- Interaction/simple-slopes plots — one figure per significant interaction, with high/low moderator lines and axis labels in construct terms.
- Mediation/path figure where SEM is used — coefficients on paths, fit indices noted.
House-style discipline (verify against the current AOM Style Guide)
- Self-contained: a reader should understand each table/figure from its title and notes alone.
- Title above the table; comprehensive note below defines abbreviations, N, SE type, and significance markers.
- Significance: use consistent markers (e.g., † p<.10, * p<.05, ** p<.01, *** p<.001) and define them in the note; state whether tests are one- or two-tailed.
- Standard errors / CIs: report SEs (or CIs) in parentheses; be consistent across tables.
- Decimals: consistent precision (commonly two decimals); align on the decimal point.
- Nested models: report model fit / ΔR² / Δ-2LL across steps so the incremental contribution of interactions is visible.
- Exhibits do not count toward the page limit. AOM's 40-page main-body maximum excludes tables and figures (it includes text, references, and appendices), so move dense supporting material into well-built exhibits rather than crowding the prose — but keep each exhibit genuinely necessary, not padding.
- Confirm current limits on number/format of exhibits and figure resolution against the AMJ Style Guide for Authors and the ScholarOne portal.
Figures
- Theoretical-model figure: clean boxes/arrows; label each path with its hypothesis number; no decorative clutter.
- Interaction plots: plot predicted values of the DV across the predictor at ±1 SD of the moderator; label lines; keep the y-axis in the DV's metric.
- Use grayscale-safe designs; ensure figures are legible in print and meet the resolution the portal requires.
Checklist
Anti-patterns
- Wall-of-numbers tables with no nested structure and no fit statistics.
- Undefined abbreviations or missing N/SE-type in notes.
- Interactions reported in text only — reviewers expect a plot.
- Model figure that contradicts the hypotheses (extra/missing arrows).
- Inconsistent decimals/significance markers across tables.
- Color-only figures that are unreadable in grayscale or below required resolution.
Output format
【Table 1】means/SD/correlations + reliabilities on diagonal? yes/no
【Result tables】nested models + ΔR²/fit reported? yes/no
【Interaction plots】one per significant interaction? yes/no
【Model figure】matches hypotheses one-to-one? yes/no
【Self-contained】all titles/notes complete? yes/no
【House-style check】markers/SE/decimals/resolution vs. AOM guide: pass/fix
【Next step】amj-writing-style