When a table has gaps, you report what the data show, mark exactly what is missing and limit your claims to what remains. This comes up whenever a source says “no data”, “not reported” or leaves a cell blank.
It completes the module on data interpretation and limitations and builds on justified causal claims. Every figure below is invented.
What should you do with a gap?
- Find it. Scan every row and column. Note which cells are blank or marked “n/a”.
- Ask why. Was nothing collected, was it withheld, or did it truly equal zero? A zero and a blank are different.
- Keep it visible. Show the gap as “not reported”, never as a made-up number.
- Limit the comparison to rows and years where the data exist.
- Say what changes. Explain how the gap weakens or limits the conclusion.
Worked example (fictional)
A made-up table gives tonnes of recycled waste collected.
| District (fictional) | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 120 | 130 | 140 |
| B | 90 | 95 | 100 |
| C | 60 | not reported | 75 |
Question: Did recycling rise in every district?
What the data show: A rose from 120 to 140 and B from 90 to 100. C rose from 60 (2021) to 75 (2023).
What is missing: C’s 2022 figure.
What you can say: “Between 2021 and 2023 recycling was higher in all three districts. District C did not report 2022, so its year-by-year trend is unknown.”
What you cannot say: that C rose steadily. The missing year could have been higher or lower than both neighbours.
What is the common mistake?
Mistaken answer: “C probably collected 67 tonnes in 2022, so the total for 2022 was 292 tonnes.”
The student filled the gap with the average of 60 and 75 (67.5, rounded) and then added it to the reported figures as though it were real. The correction is to report the 2022 total for A and B only, which is 130 + 95 = 225 tonnes, and state that C is excluded.
Check yourself
All data are fictional.
1. For 2021, what is the total for districts A, B and C in the table above?
Show answer
120 + 90 + 60 = 270 tonnes. All three districts reported for 2021, so this total is complete.
2. Write one sentence reporting the 2022 total honestly.
Show answer
“In 2022 districts A and B collected 225 tonnes in total (130 + 95); District C did not report, so a three-district total is not available.”
3. A survey table shows “0” for one question and a blank for another. How should you treat them?
Show answer
“0” is a recorded value (nobody chose it). A blank means no information. Do not treat the blank as zero. Report it as missing and ask why if possible.
Where does this lead next?
You now have four tools: rates, sample questions, cautious causal wording and honest gaps. Combine them in the integrated practice set, or go back to the module overview to plan revision.
A teacher can help you practise writing limitation sentences that are short and exact, which is part of online one-to-one Global Perspectives tuition.