AER Tables and Figures

Overview

Reviewers in economics read tables first. A misformatted, overstuffed, or note-bloated table signals carelessness and increases desk rejection probability independently of the result quality. This skill enforces AER house style and the "one claim per exhibit" discipline.

Hard AER conventions:

• Captions go below figures, above tables.
• Tables use booktabs-style horizontal rules (no vertical rules).
• Figure notes use the tablenotes / figurenotes environment.
• No color-only encoding — figures must remain legible in grayscale and to color-blind readers.

When to Use

• Drafting the main results table
• Auditing tables before submission
• An R&R demands consolidation or restructuring of tables
• Figures look noisy, dense, or "Excel-default"