Tabulated

Tabulated is the past participle form of the verb tabulate and describes information that has been arranged or presented in a table. Tabulated data is structured in rows and columns, with rows representing records and columns representing variables. This arrangement facilitates comparison, sorting, and calculation, and is common in research reports, census results, financial statements, and statistical outputs.

The term derives from tabula, Latin for a table or tablet, and the practice of tabulation predates digital computers. Historical tabulation used ledgers and early mechanical devices to record and summarize data. In the history of computing, tabulation played a central role with devices such as Herman Hollerith’s tabulating machines, which supported the 1890 U.S. Census and helped catalyze the development of data processing and early IBM systems.

Tabulated data is typically stored and exchanged in tabular formats. Spreadsheets present data in tables with named columns and rows, while databases return query results as tabular relations. Plain-text representations include CSV (comma-separated values), TSV (tab-separated values), and fixed-width tables. The tabular format supports operations such as grouping, filtering, aggregating, and joining related datasets, making it a foundational structure in data analysis and reporting.

In use, tabulated information enables clear comparisons and aggregation, such as tracking revenues over time or listing demographic variables across samples. Care is needed to address missing values, consistent units, and potential truncation or rounding that could affect interpretation. Related terms include tabulation, tabulator, and tabular data.