In summary, none of the
organizing principles described here fits all situations. Empirical
and theoretical criteria work best when accompanied by written prose
that describes the numeric pattern or relates the data to a specific
hypothesis. However, such criteria don’t work well for reporting
data that others will use for their own analyses because the
ordering will vary from one article to another. In those cases, a
self-guiding principle such as alphabetical order or standardized
sequence for that data source will be more effective.
To meet very disparate
objectives, create different documents, each organized to meet the
needs of its intended users.
