I think what you mean by 'academic style' is the commonly used APA style for tables. The distinguishing feature of APA style tables is that it does not have any vertical lines.
In Word 2010, you can do the following:
1. Create a table (use insert>table or paste)
2. Select the entire table (Alt+numberpad5 or click on the + sign that appears in the top left hand side of your table when your mouse is somewhere in the able itself)
3. Click on the design tab
4. Click on boarders
5. Click on boarders and shading
6. Click on all horizontal lines to remove them
The best part is that you can save your table style so that you can use it again and again:
1.Select the table
2. Click on insert tab
3. Click on table
4. Click on quick tables
5. Select 'save selection to quick tables gallery'
6. Enter name and other parameters
To retrieve this style, just follow steps 1 to 4 above.