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How to Make Good Figures for Scientific Papers

Creating good figures for scientific publications requires using design best practices to make each figure clearly show the main point of your data story.

This article reviews important design principles that will help you create effective figures. However, if you want step-by-step tutorials on how to create the scientific illustrations and Excel graphs using Adobe Illustrator and PowerPoint, read these articles instead:

• Free Graphical Abstract Templates and Tutorials
• Free Research Poster Templates and Tutorials  

Four Rules to Create High-Quality Figures

The best data visualizations for scientific papers use a combination of good design principles and storytelling that allows the audience to quickly understand the results of a scientific study. Below are four rules that will help you make effective research figures and save you time with the final journal formatting. There are also practical tips on how to find the purpose of your figure and how to apply design best practices to graphs, images, and tables. 

Rule 1: Clearly show the main purpose to your audience

For every graph or figure you create, the first step is to answer the question: what is the purpose of my data? Clearly defining the main purpose of your scientific design is essential so that you can create and format the data in ways that are easy to understand. 

The most common purposes for scientific publications are to explain a process or method, compare or contrast, show a change, or to establish a relationship. Each of these purposes should then lead you to select graph types. For example, if the goal of your figure is to explain a method, you will likely want to choose process-focused graph types such as flow charts, diagrams, infographics, illustrations, gantt charts, timelines, parallel sets, or Sankey diagrams. Below are examples of the most common graph types that you can use for different data purposes. Read more articles to learn how to choose the right data visualizations and data storytelling . 

Rule 2: Use composition to simplify the information

After you define the purpose of your graph or figure, the next step is to make sure you follow composition best practices that make the information clear. Composition best practices include following the journal rules and formatting from left to right, top to bottom, or in a circle. You should also review your designs to remove or adjust distracting data, lines, shadows, and repeated elements. Applying good composition means spending time reviewing your layout and simplifying the story using these techniques.

Data Composition Best Practices:

• Design flow should be left to right, top to bottom, or in a circle 
• Make sure most important data is the focus of the design
• Remove or adjust excess data and text
• Make text easy to read
• Reduce contrast of bold lines
• Remove repeated elements
• Remove shadows 

The example below shows how to design a figure that applies the composition best practices by taking an initial layout of a figure on the left and then use formatting to fill the space, simplify information, and reorder the data to more clearly show the main purpose of the research. 

Follow Science Journal Formatting Requirements:

In order to organize the graphs, charts, and figures, you will also need to know the requirements of the scientific journal. You will need to know the limits of the figure sizes, the maximum number of figures, as well as color, fonts, resolution, and file type requirements. You can find different journal requirements by going to the Journal’s homepage and then finding the link to the author’s guidelines from there. If you Google the journal’s formatting requirements, make sure you find the most up-to-date page.

For example, the academic journal Science allows a maximum of 6 figures and requires that they have a width of 55 mm (single column) or 230 mm (double column). In contrast, the journal Nature only allows 3-4 figures or tables with maximum widths of 89 mm (single column) and 183 mm (double column). If you planned to submit your scientific publication to Nature, you would need to carefully plan which graphs and tables will best tell your scientific story within only four figures.

Rule 3: Use colors or grayscale to highlight the purpose

Color is one of the most powerful data storytelling tools. When used properly, color enhances understanding of your graphs and when used poorly, it can be very distracting. 

Scientific Color Design Tips: 

• If possible, limit your design to 1-2 colors that make the main point of the data stand out from the rest
• Make colors accessible to people with color blindness

The example below shows a graph on the left that has a lot of information about graduation rates for bachelor’s degrees in 2019. The text is small and the color design makes it difficult to understand the main results of the data. One way to improve this figure is to use colors to highlight the main story of the data, which is that private for-profit institutions have a much higher drop-out rate than all other institutions. The figure on the right improves this design using the bold pink color and clearer text to highlight the main point of the dataset.

Rule 4: Refine and repeat until the story is clear

The goal of good figure design is to have your audience clearly understand the main point of your research. That is why the final rule is to spend time refining the figure using the purpose, composition, and color tools so that the final design is clear.

It is normal to make 2-3 versions of a figure before you settle on the final design that works best. I recommend using the three clarity checkpoints below to improve your refinement process. 

Design Clarity Checkpoints:

• Checkpoint 1. Does the figure show the overall story or main point when you hide the text? If not, improve the data visualization designs to more clearly show the main purpose.
• Checkpoint 2. Can you remove or adjust unnecessary elements that attract your attention? Remove repetitive elements, bounding boxes, background colors, extra lines, extra colors, repeated text, shadows/shading, either remove or adjust excess data, and consider moving information to supplementary figures.
• Checkpoint 3. Does the color palette enhance or distract from the story? Limit the use of color and pick a color palette that improves audience understanding of the main purpose of the figure. If the color doesn’t serve an obvious purpose, change to grayscale.

Scientific Figure Design Summary

For every scientific publication, follow the four rules of good scientific figure design to help you create effective graphics that engage and impress your audience:

• Clearly show the main purpose to your audience
• Use composition to simplify the information
• Use colors or grayscale to highlight the main points of the figure
• Refine and repeat the process until the story is clear

Related Content: 

• Best Color Palettes for Scientific Figures and Data Visualizations
• Graphical Abstract Examples with Free Templates
• Free Research Poster Templates and Tutorials
• BioRender Alternatives: Scientific Illustration Software Comparisons

Create professional science figures with illustration services or use the online courses and templates to quickly learn how to make your own designs.

Interested in free design templates and training.

Explore scientific illustration templates and courses by creating a Simplified Science Publishing Log In. Whether you are new to data visualization design or have some experience, these resources will improve your ability to use both basic and advanced design tools.

Interested in reading more articles on scientific design? Learn more below:

Scientific Presentation Guide: How to Create an Engaging Research Talk

Data Storytelling Techniques: How to Tell a Great Data Story in 4 Steps

Best Science PowerPoint Templates and Slide Design Examples

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Early Career Researcher Toolbox: Free Tools for Making Scientific Graphics

By Beth Kenkel

When I started writing for the Addgene blog, I was focused on writing about new scientific techniques and cool plasmids. Creating graphics were usually the last thing I thought about when writing posts. Since then I’ve realized my figures are just as important, if not more important, than my writing. Initially I didn’t have access to professional-grade design software, like Adobe Illustrator, and I didn’t want to pay for these programs either. But with a little Googling and some trial and error, I found some free design software that let me create graphics that better communicated the science in my blog posts. This post highlights several of these free tools which will hopefully also help you communicate your science, whether it’s in presentations, manuscripts, or social media.

If you want to draw your own figures

Google drawings.

Google Drawings is similar to using PowerPoint to draw figures. It’s part of Google Drive so it has a similar interface as Google Docs or other products in the suite. Since it’s web-based, you could access it from anywhere. Its ease of use is one of the reasons why this was the first program I used to create graphics for the Addgene blog. However, it has a limited number of drawing tools, so it’s harder to draw intricate figures, like a brain or a mouse.

Vectr is like a pared down version of Adobe Illustrator. There’s both a web and a desktop version of this software. Vectr has layers, which let you lock and hide individual vectors (shapes defined by 2D points connected by lines and curves) that you’ve drawn. Layers are useful for drawing figures with lots of elements. It took some playing around to figure out all the settings and tool options, but I found Vectr to be fairly intuitive and I was making figures quickly.

Inkscape is the most similar to Adobe Illustrator out of the three options for drawing your own figure discussed in this post. It’s open source and available for desktop use for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Inkscape is versatile and has a wide selection of tools for drawing and editing shapes and like Vectr, Inkscape uses vector graphics. There’s a steep learning curve for Inkscape, but there are lots of resources for learning the software. The Inkscape website has many tutorials and Lynda has a tutorial as well, which you may have access to through your university or your public library.

If you want to use pre-drawn images in your figures

Biorender is like clip art for scientists. The web-based collection of over 20,000 icons is designed by professional medical illustrators with input from life scientists. It’s easy to search the collection and drag and drop an icon onto the workspace. The color and size of icons are adjustable. New icons can be requested, although there’s no guarantee Biorender will create it. Additionally, you can upload your own images to the Biorender workspace. Free Biorender accounts can store 5 workspaces at a time and workspaces are only downloadable in a small file size with a Biorender watermark, which is usually ok for informal settings like lab meeting presentations. You can download larger images without the watermark, which are better suited for publications, if you sign up for a paid account. 

I’m proud to announce that @BioRender (a project my team & I have poured our hearts into for 2 yrs) has 200K+ figures by 95K+ scientists 👨🏽‍🔬👩‍🔬! We built this so you could stop struggling to make figures in PPT 🔬 Also, the base version is free, forever 💜 https://t.co/KJpyxgxeQt pic.twitter.com/Ho9SQlyUOP — Biotweeps - Maiko Kitaoka (@biotweeps) May 22, 2019

Smart Servier Medical Art

This site has 3,000 free medical images organized into four main categories: anatomy and the human body, cellular biology, medical specialities, and general items. Individual images as well as collections of images are easy to download in a .png file format. Images are under a Creative Commons 3.0 license , which requires users to give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made to the images. This requirement means the images are probably better suited for presentations and digital articles where it’s easier to give attribution, than for journal publications.

Google Image Search

Google image search is a great tool for searching the entire internet for scientific graphics. The tools settings let you tailor your search to particular types of images. For example, by selecting “Tools” and then clicking the “Usage rights” dropdown menu, you can search for images “Labeled for reuse with modification.” Occasionally Google Image Search results includes images that can’t be reused without attribution, despite filtering for images labeled for reuse with modification. It’s always a good idea to double-check the image’s license information before using it.

Have a tip for using one of the softwares discussed? Or know of a tool or resource not mentioned? Tell us about it in the comments section!

  Additional resources on the Addgene blog

• Read our  Early Career Researcher Toolbox blog post  on social media for scientists
• Find science career blog posts
• Learn about other lab software

Topics: Science Careers , Early Career Researcher

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How to develop a graphical framework to chart your research

Graphic representations or frameworks can be powerful tools to explain research processes and outcomes. David Waller explains how researchers can develop effective visual models to chart their work

David Waller

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While undertaking a study, researchers can uncover insights, connections and findings that are extremely valuable to anyone likely to read their eventual paper. Thus, it is important for the researcher to clearly present and explain the ideas and potential relationships. One important way of presenting findings and relationships is by developing a graphical conceptual framework.

A graphical conceptual framework is a visual model that assists readers by illustrating how concepts, constructs, themes or processes work. It is an image designed to help the viewer understand how various factors interrelate and affect outcomes, such as a chart, graph or map.

These are commonly used in research to show outcomes but also to create, develop, test, support and criticise various ideas and models. The use of a conceptual framework can vary depending on whether it is being used for qualitative or quantitative research.

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There are many forms that a graphical conceptual framework can take, which can depend on the topic, the type of research or findings, and what can best present the story.

Below are examples of frameworks based on qualitative and quantitative research.

As shown by the table below, in qualitative research the conceptual framework is developed at the end of the study to illustrate the factors or issues presented in the qualitative data. It is designed to assist in theory building and the visual understanding of the exploratory findings. It can also be used to develop a framework in preparation for testing the proposition using quantitative research.

In quantitative research a conceptual framework can be used to synthesise the literature and theoretical concepts at the beginning of the study to present a model that will be tested in the statistical analysis of the research.

It is important to understand that the role of a conceptual framework differs depending on the type of research that is being undertaken.

So how should you go about creating a conceptual framework? After undertaking some studies where I have developed conceptual frameworks, here is a simple model based on “Six Rs”: Review, Reflect, Relationships, Reflect, Review, and Repeat.

Process for developing conceptual frameworks:

Review: literature/themes/theory.

Reflect: what are the main concepts/issues?

Relationships: what are their relationships?

Reflect: does the diagram represent it sufficiently?

Review: check it with theory, colleagues, stakeholders, etc.

Repeat: review and revise it to see if something better occurs.

This is not an easy process. It is important to begin by reviewing what has been presented in previous studies in the literature or in practice. This provides a solid background to the proposed model as it can show how it relates to accepted theoretical concepts or practical examples, and helps make sure that it is grounded in logical sense.

It can start with pen and paper, but after reviewing you should reflect to consider if the proposed framework takes into account the main concepts and issues, and the potential relationships that have been presented on the topic in previous works.

It may take a few versions before you are happy with the final framework, so it is worth continuing to reflect on the model and review its worth by reassessing it to determine if the model is consistent with the literature and theories. It can also be useful to discuss the idea with  colleagues or to present preliminary ideas at a conference or workshop –  be open to changes.

Even after you come up with a potential model it is good to repeat the process to review the framework and be prepared to revise it as this can help in refining the model. Over time you may develop a number of models with each one superseding the previous one.

A concern is that some students hold on to the framework they first thought of and worry that developing or changing it will be seen as a weakness in their research. However, a revised and refined model can be an important factor in justifying the value of the research.

Plenty of possibilities and theoretical topics could be considered to enhance the model. Whether it ultimately supports the theoretical constructs of the research will be dependent on what occurs when it is tested.  As social psychologist, Kurt Lewin, famously said “ There's nothing so practical as good theory ”.

The final result after doing your reviewing and reflecting should be a clear graphical presentation that will help the reader understand what the research is about as well as where it is heading.

It doesn’t need to be complex. A simple diagram or table can clarify the nature of a process and help in its analysis, which can be important for the researcher when communicating to their audience. As the saying goes: “ A picture is worth 1000 words ”. The same goes for a good conceptual framework, when explaining a research process or findings.

David Waller is an associate professor at the University of Technology Sydney .

If you found this interesting and want advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week,  sign up for the THE Campus newsletter .

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Top 4 tips for designing a graphical abstract

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A well-designed graphical abstract should give your audience an immediate understanding of your article's main message. Our expert science design team has put together a list of top tips that will help you create a clear and compelling graphical abstract.

Why are graphical abstracts important?

Graphical abstracts are a powerful tool that you can use to visually summarize and communicate your research. It is often the first thing a reader looks at in a journal article but knowing how to design a clear and compelling visual can be challenging. In this guide, you'll learn actionable tips for designing an effective graphical abstract to inform and impress your readers.

Plan ahead!

There's nothing worse than finishing your figure only to realize it doesn't fit the guidelines. Before getting started with your graphical abstract, make sure to check the journal guidelines and specs, specifically: font, dimensions and colors. This simple step only takes a few minutes but can save you a lot of time in the long run.

Starting your graphical abstract

Creating a figure from scratch can be daunting. To help you kick-start your figure-making, start by focusing on these three areas:

The main message of your study. Use 1-2 sentences to summarize your research paper. This is the foundation of your graphical abstract.

Your layout. Gather examples of other graphical abstracts to determine which layout will work best for yours. Pro tip: browse the BioRender template gallery for inspiration.

Your story flow. Sketch your ideas on paper. Get your thoughts down and create a rough draft.

Once you have the content of your graphical abstract planned out, you'll need to create a clear, effective design. Here are four simple design tips to help guide you:

• Layout - Use a layout that effortlessly guides the reader through your figure. Bonus tip: Try unidirectional flows for step-wise information and cyclical flows for processes.
• Color and contrast - Pick the main color for your figure and an accent color to highlight key elements. Bonus tip: Check that the colors you pick have good contrast in grayscale so the reader can differentiate all elements in your figure easily.
• Arrows and labels - Place just enough arrows and labels so that the information is easy to grasp for the reader. Bonus tip: Define a hierarchy of your arrow flows. Think of them like a main highway with multiple side roads.
• Alignment - Keep similar elements aligned throughout the figure. This helps with comparing and contrasting. Bonus tip: Use guidelines (vertically and horizontally) for facilitated alignment and padding.

Check out our Designing graphical abstract webinar to see these tips in action! [Here are some useful timestamps so you can quickly jump to the sections you're interested in: layout and story flow (9:19), color (16:16), arrows and text (27:47), alignment and spacing(29:44).]

What are common graphical abstract design mistakes?

When it comes to designing any type of science figure, it's important to focus on clarity. The following are a few of the most common design mistakes that can make your figure appear crowded, confusing, and/or difficult to read:

1) Low contrast or patterned backgrounds.

2) Overlapping elements, especially arrows.

3) Using too many colors (try limiting to 2-3).

4) Drop shadows and word art.

5) Unnecessary elements. Minimalism is better than crowdedness.

Can BioRender help you create a graphical abstract?

Absolutely! You can design beautiful graphical abstracts in minutes with our library of over 10,000 scientifically-accurate icons and powerful design tools! Plus, in BioRender you'll find hundreds of pre-made, fully-editable templates so you can find inspiration and create your graphical abstracts even faster!

Full downloadable infographic (square)

Click here to open a fully editable and downloadable version of this infographic in BioRender.

Click here to open a fully-editable version of this template in BioRender

Full downloadable infographic (long, mobile-friendly)

The visuals used in this article were created fully in BioRender and are available as editable templates.

References:

• BioRender Learning Hub | Designing graphical abstracts. (2021). BioRender. https://learn.biorender.com/tutorial/designing-graphical-abstracts
• BioRender Learning Hub | Anatomy of a Figure: From BioRender Templates to Graphical Abstracts. (2021). Biorender. https://learn.biorender.com/tutorial/anatomy-of-a-figure-from-biorender-templates-to-graphical-abstracts

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• Oct 27, 2021
• 13 min read

How to design an effective graphical abstract: the ultimate guide

All researchers know this story by now.

We spend months writing and revising our manuscript to absolute perfection. We feel pretty proud of our work, and we’re certain our target journal is going to roll out the red carpet and embrace it with open arms.

Alas, something unexpected happens…

We hit a massive roadblock at the tail-end of the manuscript submission process, simply because we don’t have a “graphical abstract.”

“A graphical what?!” we exclaim, throwing our arms in the air.

“What on earth IS this thing preventing us from submitting our amazing manuscript? This is going to be a massive waste of time!”

So, what’s the point you say?

You’re about to learn exactly how important graphical abstracts are, AND how to nail them right the first time!

Let’s talk about the purpose of graphical abstracts, what they should look like, and how you can easily create one to stay competitive with your research.

What on earth is a graphical abstract?

Let’s start by clarifying what a graphical abstract (GA) is NOT.

But first imagine this. . . it’s late at night.

After several hours of reformatting your paper to the guidelines, you finally hit that SUBMIT button, go to bed, and pray that your manuscript is accepted.

Then at the last minute, something really (really!) frustrating happens. Your target journal requires a “graphical abstract” to be submitted along with your paper, and you can’t move forward without one!

So, what do you do?

You have three choices:

1) Scream and damn the day you decided to become an academic (oh the memories…)

2) Design a graphical abstract from scratch (remember, it’s half-past midnight already).

3) Grab the prettiest figure from your paper and pretend it’s a graphical abstract (you know, the statistically significant graph from Figure 3.1A!)

Look, chances are you’re not a graphic designer, and creating a masterpiece with PowerPoint is out of the question. So I’m certain you’d choose Option 1 or Option 3. . . and then pay a VERY steep price for it. If your journal allows it, there may be an Option 4 for submitting a video abstract . We can compare and contrast the options later. Today we’re talking specifically about graphical abstracts.

And on that note, let’s get one thing straight: a graphical abstract should not be a copy of the best figure in your paper. N E V E R.

So if it’s now 3 am and you’re tempted to do that, go to bed! Or, keep reading.

What’s the purpose of a Graphical Abstract?

Now that we’ve clarified what a GA should not be, let’s nail down its purpose.

A graphical abstract is used to visually and concisely summarise your manuscript and its main message. It tells a clear and concise story , and how it works in your favour depends on who is reading.

If your peers are reading: A GA becomes a promotional tool that positions your paper to stand out in places like social media . As the name suggests, a GA has the same purpose as a traditional abstract. But with 7,000+ peer-reviewed articles being published daily, nobody has the time to read a 250-word abstract. GAs work like movie posters: to grab attention and drive traffic to your paper (the equivalent of the movie). What’s more, they even have the power to double the number of times your article is read . Incredible!

If a non-academic is reading: They don’t speak the scientific jargon, and the blocks of text and the boring black-and-white figures just don’t do it for them (can you blame them?). Instead with a well-designed GA, these people can finally become acquainted with, understand and appreciate, your research. A GA extends the reach of your research beyond your peers. A GA is clear and to the point, just like if you were to explain your scientific profession at a dinner party . The lay person appreciates short and sweet explanations, not a full lecture!

Do they really work?

Graphical abstracts have been shown to improve the reach of new scientific publications.

One study used Twitter to quantify the effect of including a graphical abstract in the promotion of new publications. The researchers compared Twitter posts with and without GAs over one year, using each post as its own control. They found that the reach of posts with GAs were dramatically greater than those without.

Tweets with GAs received a 7.7-fold increase in Twitter impressions , a 8.4-fold increase in retweets , and a 2.7-fold increase in article visits . We’ve even compiled this same study into a GA below, check it out!

Who will read them?

The first question you should ask yourself is, who do I want to reach with this GA? Am I just interested in reaching my small community of peers interested in my obscure science or am I interested in going beyond?

Expert audiences

There is a lot of research out there that is hyper-technical and interests only a limited number of experts. If that’s your case, great! You know who you are talking to: the big cheeses of the field.

If you feel that this is your case, I have a surprise for you. You have total freedom in the style of graphical abstract you can use. Because your audience has an expert level of understanding of the subject, you have the freedom to go technical or not. You can decide to show them complex diagrams and p -values or hook them in with a funny comic with a highly nerdy joke that maybe 8 people in the world will understand.

It is up to you.

Non-expert audiences

But what if you wanted to share your work with your next door neighbour, or your grandma?

(… assuming neither of them are scientists in your field…)

Science has traditionally been for (guess what) scientists. That’s why Open Access publishing is a super trendy topic. The idea of removing paywalls is great… for scientists. However, is this really enough to make science truly “open”? The paywall is one barrier, but what are the others? And how can a GA help?

Comprehension is the greatest barrier of all. And it’s the barrier that the general public or layman audience can’t break on their own.

Let’s help them out by using these tips on your GA.

Context: you need to provide some context because otherwise a non-expert won’t be able to appreciate the relevance of your research.

No jargon: Some people call it Jargon Monoxide because it asphyxiates audiences. It is true, not being able to understand a few words will cause the reader to switch off and think that this is just not for them.

The “so what?” factor. The reason why your research is relevant might be obvious to your peers, but it is definitely not obvious to Joe and Jane next door. Tell them in plain English why this matters to their lives.

Styles of graphical abstracts

Let’s now talk about the fun stuff! Style!

When it comes to GA’s, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter template. Scientists and artists from around the world have explored a variety of approaches and styles .

So while there are no concrete rules about what a GA should look like, we’re familiar with a number of popular styles and how each one fits a certain audience.

Let’s have a look at a few examples of some different styles and where they sit in the Experts-Public spectrum .

Style 1: The classic diagram

This is a more traditional style of GA that’s been around for a while. Using GAs like this wasn’t uncommon in the chemistry field a few decades ago, given that chemistry is such a visual topic.

You’d notice that there is no background context and it’s full of technical jargon. If the target audience is other experts then great, they’ll get it. But this is not suitable for any other kind of audience.

Style 2: The p-value aficionado

This is called a ‘Visual Abstract’. It’s very popular in the medical field, and usually consists of vertical or horizontal panels. It’s a little more accessible than the previous style, with some easily recognisable icons and some text to guide the reader. But, it’s still geared towards other scientists. ​

Style 3: The infographic​

In the infographic style, there’s less emphasis on data and more emphasis on the main scientific message and the “so what” factor.

As the most versatile style, it provides a good middle ground on the accessibility spectrum. It starts with a sentence that provides some background context, and the images are clear and interesting. What’s important is the use of a large eye-catching graphic that draws people’s attention.

Style 4: The comic strip​

Here we can play with our knowledge of pop culture, humour and artistic freedom.

A comic-style is perfect for telling your scientific story in a fun, whimsical way which can include metaphors or real-world references. This is by far the most accessible way for the public to understand the intentions behind the science, without going into the nitty-gritty detail.

The last style is a comic style and is clearly aimed at the general public. It’s visually appealing with some custom graphics, and it uses humour to convey the key scientific message: opening up the target audience to engage with everyone.

How can I design one?

Before we dive in, let’s establish one unbreakable rule.

Your GA will be CLEAR and CONCISE . Got it? Good.

What’s that? You’ve got an awesome multi-dimensional plot with 8 colours? Great!

Keep it in the paper, that’s where it belongs.

Got a beautiful table with 20 rows of significant p-values? Amazing!

Let’s keep this rule in mind as we work through the following steps.

Step 1: Planning the content

Once you’ve identified your target audience, let’s decide on the content, starting with the text.

While you do need some text to provide context and to guide the reader through the graphics, you’ll need to keep it as short as possible: definitely less than 80 words.

What to write

We’re huge advocates of the And - But - Therefore format of storytelling invented by Dr Randy Olson in his book “Connection” which one of our favourite science communication books of all time!

The ‘And’ is the context (background), the ‘But’ is the hook that holds the reader’s attention (knowledge gap), and the ‘Therefore’ is what you found (results and conclusions). You can read more about this format of storytelling here . We can leave out the methods (unless you’re writing a methods paper!). If your reader is interested, they can find them in all their nitty-gritty glory in the full paper.

Now that you have your target audience in mind, let’s decide on the content, starting with the text.

You do need some text to provide context and to guide the reader through the graphics, but keep it as short as possible. And anyway, the clearer your graphics are, the fewer words you’ll need!

How to write it

If you’re talking to experts, you might have some technical words, but if you’re engaging with the public you’ll need to stay away from all jargon. Remember that jargon monoxide is lethal!

Step 2: Concept

Crack your knuckles because now we’re getting to work on how your GA will look. On paper, or in your design software, make the first draft.

If you’re particularly arty, roughly draw the key graphics that you’ll polish up later. If not, don’t worry, just keep in mind where you want to put in the graphics, and afterwards, we’ll track down the best the internet has to offer.

Ask yourself where your GA is going to be distributed most, because this will determine its size. If you’re submitting it to a journal, you’ll need to follow their instructions. Or maybe you just want to make a splash on social media. Twitter, Instagram etc. each have their own preferred sizes, and this determines whether or not your GA will be cropped when viewed on mobile devices etc. Decide which platform will give your GA the best chance of being seen, and size it accordingly.

Most things are either read left to right, or top to bottom. The easiest way to lay things out neatly are by arranging text and figures in panels, which could be connected by an arrow or numbering system. We’ve covered this in detail for scientific posters , and luckily the same principles apply.

Negative space

No, this isn’t astronaut terminology. Negative space just means space on your GA that’s not filled with stuff. It's a resting spot for the eyes.

Step 3: Designing

This is the most important part. This is what first grabs the reader’s attention when they start scrolling through Twitter, still half-asleep, while they eat breakfast. It should be big, bold, and capable of landing a solid impression. One glance should give your topic away. So, naturally, this isn’t the place to put Figure 3.1A of your manuscript!

The reason we’re choosing your image first is because, unless you’re making your own from scratch, the image will determine which colours you can use for the rest of the GA. We’ll go into more detail in the next section.

You can outsource modifiable images legally through The Creative Commons Search Engine , and there are sites dedicated to this, including PixaBay and PNG Tree . For photos, check out Unsplash . Some sites may ask for accreditation, so make sure to follow individual guidelines.

Or maybe you’re keen on drawing everything from scratch? We’ve got handy tips for that too .

So now, what software will you use to produce your GA? We’ve previously covered our personal recommendations for free and paid illustration software , so check out what suits your skill level and/or budget!

If you’re using an image you found on the web, then this step is easy. You’re going to sample the colours from that image using the Eyedropper Tool . It exists in every design software (even Microsoft PowerPoint!). Doing this will keep a consistent palette of colours throughout your GA.

Choosing colours from scratch? It is great fun to go freestyle, but there are literally an infinite number of colours out there, so how do we choose the 3 to 5 that we need?

Simple. Search “infographic colour palette” in Google Images and find one that you like and that is appropriate to your theme.

Marine biology? Well then, you can’t go wrong with some shades of blue.

Plant ecologist? How about a couple of greens and a nice brown?

Once you’ve found a colour combination that you like, use the Eyedropper tool to sample them, and hey presto, you’ve got your palette.

Pro tip 1: You can even install an eyedropper tool on your web browser. ColorZilla is a good one for Google Chrome.

Pro tip 2: Adobe Colour Wheel is a nice way of getting complementary colours based on colour theory - don’t worry, it’s easy to use.

OK, background, we want something eye-catching, so that means a photo, right? Nope! A texture? Double nope. Anything too busy will make your text and graphics hard to read.

A solid colour is perfect . We can be a bit more adventurous than white, but let’s not get carried away: save the hot pink for your underwear drawer.

Have you ever stared at a blank Microsoft Word page for over an hour, just because you were busy choosing a font?

Good. Because font choice is incredibly important!

We’ve covered fonts in detail before , but in a nutshell, this is what you’ll need to consider:

You’ll need a font without serif, that is sans serif.

Not only does sans serif sound cool (hey, look at you speaking French), these fonts are easier to read and appear more modern. So it’s goodbye Mr. Times New Roman , hello Mrs. Arial .

Wait. Comic Sans is sans serif , does that mean you can use it? N O P E. Just don’t! Every time a scientist uses Comic Sans a graphic designer dies

What about font size? Well, it depends on how large you make your GA in your software. Here’s a guide. Make your GA full-screen on your computer monitor. Can you read the text from a metre or two back? If so, then your text is probably big enough.

Do you need a title? Not necessarily. You might not have enough space. But, if you think it’ll help your GA to be CLEAR and CONCISE, go for it. You have my blessing.

Key information

If your GA is shared and used by other people, then you want your audience to be able to find your work. Include the title of your paper, the names of the authors, the year of publication, the journal, the DOI, and maybe even a QR code !

If you are a Microsoft aficionado, you can use PowerPoint to make your GA - just be aware that it has its limits. If you fancy your design skills and have time to invest in the steep learning curve, use Affinity Designer, Adobe Illustrator or Indesign. But if you want something more user-friendly (and free!) then check out Canva .

Step 4: Getting ready to release your GA into the wild

Congratulations on putting together your masterpiece. This is new territory, so you should be proud. But what’s next?

Take a break and come back to your GA with fresh eyes. Note what your eyes are drawn to first. Is this the first thing you want your audience to see? If so, then you’ve planned your GA well.

Do the elements of your GA align well? Good alignment will give your GA a professional look, and it’ll keep my Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder under control too, so thanks.

Get some feedback

Different people interpret images, symbols and icons differently. So something you think is obvious might not be to others. Remember the first part of our unbreakable rule? ‘CLEAR’.

Get feedback from people within your target audience. Your friends, if you’re targeting the public, and your colleagues if you’re targeting other academics. Even if this is the case, your friends are a good tool here too. If they can understand it, then you’ve done your job well.

Colour profile

If you designed your poster with professional software, you’ll have the ability to control the colour profile. Nothing complicated, there are two options: RGB and CMYK. The first one is for digital use, and the second one is for printing — pick the first one. That’s all you need to know.

Saving the file

Always keep your source file, in case you need to edit it later. But save your output as a .PNG (this is best for screens). If this isn’t available a .JPEG is good too.

Posting to social media

When posting on social media don’t forget to include the URL link pointing to the article’s page. This will not only help drive traffic to your paper but will also make your social media post visible by the Altmetric algorithm. If you don’t know what Altmetric is…let us fill you in, check out our awesome infographic.

Include any relevant hashtags in your post, and tag your co-authors. You should mention the journal, your institute and funding bodies too. This is not only good practice but could lead to a powerful re-tweet by an account with a large following. Garnish your post with some emojis and serve.

And that's the whole recipe!

Main take-aways

A graphical abstract is a visual summary of your work. Not a recycled Figure 3.1A!

Plan your design around your desired target audience.

Less is more! Recite after me. Your GA will be CLEAR and CONCISE.

Haven’t got the time to make one yourself?

No worries, we’re here to help!

At Animate Your Science we help researchers from all around the world stand out and have an impact. And an eye-catching, show-stopping graphical abstract is exactly what you’ll need to get started!

Our team of science communicators and designers can turn your research into an infographic or animation that will turn heads. Check out our gallery to find a style that suits you!

Explore how we can help you to unleash your impact by contacting us today !

Dr Juan Miguel Balbin

Dr Tullio Rossi

#graphicalabstract #Twitter #infographic

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5 Tips for Creating a Graphical Abstract

December 12, 2023

What is a graphical abstract?

A graphical abstract is a visual representation or summary of the main findings or key points of a research article. It is typically an image or diagram that highlights the most important aspects of the study. This allows readers to quickly understand the main conclusions of the research without having to read the entire paper. Graphical abstracts are often placed at the beginning of an article or included in the abstract section. They serve as a visual aid to attract attention and provide a snapshot of the study's content. By presenting key findings in a visually appealing and concise manner, graphical abstracts enhance the accessibility and understanding of the research.

Graphical abstracts can take various forms depending on the field of study and the preferences of the journal or publication. They may include illustrations, diagrams, graphs, or photographs to convey information. The content of a graphical abstract can include research objectives, methodology, key results, major conclusions, and implications of the study.

It is important to note that graphical abstracts differ from visual abstracts in some ways. In general, visual abstracts are more table-like and show the numerical results of a study. These are often included in clinical studies. Graphical abstracts are a pictorial representation of a study's results, similar to an infographic.

Overall, graphical abstracts serve as a powerful tool to summarize complex research and communicate its significance to a broader audience.

What is the purpose of a graphical abstract?

Graphical abstracts are designed to catch the reader's attention and pique their interest in the research. By presenting visually appealing and eye-catching images or diagrams, graphical abstracts can draw readers into the article and encourage them to read further. A recent study found that the yearly average use of an article is doubled when compared with those without a graphical abstract.

By providing a visual overview, graphical abstracts make scientific research more accessible to a broader audience. They can be particularly useful for non-experts, students, or researchers from other fields who may not have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter. Graphical abstracts allow readers to understand the main points of the study without requiring specialized expertise.

Additionally, graphical abstracts can be shared independently of the full article on various platforms such as conference posters, social media, or journal websites. They serve as a promotional tool to attract attention and generate interest in the research, potentially leading to increased visibility and citations.

Five tips for creating an effective graphical abstract

1. focus on key messages.

Research is exciting, and it is natural to want to include all the findings of your study. However, it is important to identify the main messages or key findings of your research and prioritize them in your graphical abstract. Keep it concise and avoid overwhelming the audience with too much data or too many images. Choose the most important elements that effectively convey the main points of your study.

2. Focus on visual elements

Visual elements such as illustrations, diagrams, graphs, or photographs can greatly enhance the impact of your graphical abstract. Select visuals that are clear, relevant, and visually appealing. Use colors, shapes, and fonts strategically to create a cohesive and engaging design. Overwhelming the reader with too much text is not effective. Therefore, take your time to create graphics that illustrate your main points.

3. Keep it simple!

Simplify complex concepts or data into easily understandable visuals. Avoid excessive text or details that may confuse or distract the reader. Aim for a clean and streamlined design that highlights the main points without unnecessary clutter. Graphical abstracts may be shared with the general public via social media or journal websites. Therefore, it is important that the general population can understand the main points of your study.

4. Maintain consistency

Ensure consistency in style, color scheme, and overall design with the rest of your research article or paper. This helps create a cohesive and professional look, making it easier for readers to associate the graphical abstract with the main content. Graphical abstracts with too many colors or multiple fonts can look messy and unorganized. This can confuse and overwhelm readers and they may overlook the main points of your research. 

5. Adhere to journal guidelines

Most journals have specific requirements for graphical abstracts and images. Journals aim to maintain a consistent look and feel across their articles, including graphical abstracts. By providing guidelines, they ensure that the graphical abstracts submitted by authors align with the journal's overall style and branding. Consistency in design elements helps readers easily recognize and associate the graphical abstract with the specific journal. Additionally, journals optimize their images for print or online publication. Therefore it is important to follow their guidelines regarding resolution, image size, etc. 

Example of a graphical abstract

Below is an example of a successful graphical abstract. In this abstract, a strict color scheme is used (blue, red, and white, with black text). The text is minimal, and the use of arrows guide the reader to the main results of the study.

Abstract created by Kerry Stricker, American Journal Experts Study: Zettel Nalen, Catherine M., et al. "Oviposition substrate selection by Florida mosquitoes in response to pathogen‐infected conspecific larvae." Journal of Vector Ecology 38.1 (2013): 182-187. Some additional examples of graphical abstracts can be found at this link .

Assistance with graphical abstracts

You may be thinking, “This all sounds great, but I am not familiar with creating electronic graphics”. That’s okay! 

There are several options available to you. Some journals will create a graphical abstract for you after your manuscript has been accepted for publication. For those that don’t, you can use a graphical abstract service, such as the custom illustration service provided by AJE. Some institutions, such as universities, offer in-house graphic design, or you can hire a freelance graphic designer to fit your needs. Remember, regardless of the method you choose, it's important to provide the person creating the graphical abstract with a clear understanding of your research, key messages, and any specific requirements from the journal. Effective communication and collaboration will help ensure that the graphical abstract accurately represents your research and meets your expectations.

Final thoughts

Before finalizing your graphical abstract, test it for clarity and impact. Share it with colleagues or peers and gather feedback on its effectiveness in conveying the main messages of your research. Make revisions if necessary to improve clarity, readability, and overall visual impact.

Remember, the goal of a graphical abstract is to provide a clear and concise visual summary of your research. Keeping it focused , visually appealing , and easy to understand is key.

 About the author

Catherine Zettel Nalen

Catherine Zettel Nalen is currently an Academic Editor - Operations Specialist and Journal Recommendation Team Lead at Research Square Company, helping researchers around the world communicate and disseminate their research findings. She is a formally trained Medical/Veterinary Entomologist with experience in infectious disease epidemiology. She previously worked for the United States Department of Agriculture conducting vector-borne disease research, as well as in applied public health, serving as a Vector Entomologist, Environmental Health Director, and Public Health Emergency Preparedness Specialist.

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Softwares for Creating Scientific Images and Figures

In the process of academic research, the data obtained by researchers can only mean something when it gets published. Part of the publishing process involves being able to generate scientific images and figures that represent the findings. Academic journals have a set of standards for images and figures to be published. These style guidelines usual include certain features such as the size of the image/figure, the resolution, the spacing, the font size and style, the file type, and the layout.

The process of creating an image or figure for a manuscript is often a very time-consuming step and, for younger researchers, this can be very daunting. Every academic journal has its own requirements, so each time a researcher submits a manuscript they have to pay careful attention to these guidelines and follow them exactly. Fortunately, with advances in online publications and online submissions, the process can actually go quite smoothly. In fact, there are a number of software programs now available to researchers that make figure and image preparation something that goes hand in hand with data collection.

Using Software to Create Images and Figures

Every researcher has their own favorite software program or programs that they use when creating scientific images and figures. There are a number of programs available that aid in image/figure preparation and each has its own unique features and capabilities. Here we present a brief summary of some of the most commonly used software programs.

• ImageJ is an image-processing program that was developed at the National Institutes of Health . It is freely available and provides extensibility via Java plugins and recordable macros. ImageJ lets users edit, analyze, process, save and print 8-bit color and grayscale, 16-bit integer, and 32-bit floating point images. It is compatible with many image file formats and supports image stacks. ImageJ can be used to calculate the area and pixel value statistics of user-defined selections and intensity-thresholded objects. It measures distances and angles and can be used to make density histograms and line profile plots. It basically allows for image analysis and preparation, and when the images are saved they can be easily imported into other software programs for further preparation.

Related: Need help with scientific illustrations? Make sure you read our post on MindTheGraph . Check out this section today!

• PowerPoint is a software program that is part of the Microsoft Office. It provides users with the ability to enhance images and figures through features such as cropping, add text, aligning, resizing, and changing the brightness and contrast. Many researchers find this a standard mechanism for creating images and figures as they collect data because this format is often used for presentation purposes. Images and figures that are created with PowerPoint can be saved as other file types to be exported into other software programs for further preparation if necessary.
• Adobe Photoshop is considered as the most powerful image manipulation software that exists. It has to be used carefully when manipulating images for publication in scientific journals because it contains so many features for enhancing images that it is easy to inadvertently violate the image manipulation rules set by the publishers. Images can be sized and the resolution and color can be altered. In addition, adjustments can be made using the levels, curves, and brightness and contrast features. One of the key features is that several images can be combined to create figures for publication using layers and masking techniques. There is a bit of a learning curve with Photoshop, but once the user has the basics covered, it is a very powerful tool for scientists.
• Adobe Illustrator is another popular image editing software. It is a vector-based drawing program that allows the user to import images, create drawings, and align multiple images into one figure. The figure that is generated can be exported as a high-resolution image that is ready for publication. Illustrator allows the user to fully customize and polish their figures. It has a large toolbox with many features that can be used to create high-quality images and figures.

Tips to Prepare Figures

Although many researchers may find figure preparation a wearisome task, however, with the right tools it can actually go quite smoothly. Many scientists use a combination of some of the above-mentioned software programs to create their figures. Each program has its own special features and depending on the users’ preferences certain aspects are quite intuitive. Here are some important tips to keep in mind when preparing images and figures during the manuscript preparation process.

• Be sure to follow the journal guidelines exactly as they are written. By not following these standards the journal could automatically send our manuscript back without a review.
• Review what constitutes image manipulation fraud, as this can cause rejection and embarrassment.
• Review the figures for error before you submit your manuscript. When you focus on the details of how the image looks you might not focus on the actual content. Make sure it reflects the data you are presenting in the text.
• It is always a good idea to print out your images before you submit them. This will ensure they are presented well for the reviewers.

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Google helped make an exquisitely detailed map of a tiny piece of the human brain

A small brain sample was sliced into 5,000 pieces, and machine learning helped stitch it back together.

• Cassandra Willyard archive page

A team led by scientists from Harvard and Google has created a 3D, nanoscale-resolution map of a single cubic millimeter of the human brain. Although the map covers just a fraction of the organ—a whole brain is a million times larger—that piece contains roughly 57,000 cells, about 230 millimeters of blood vessels, and nearly 150 million synapses. It is currently the highest-resolution picture of the human brain ever created.

To make a map this finely detailed, the team had to cut the tissue sample into 5,000 slices and scan them with a high-speed electron microscope. Then they used a machine-learning model to help electronically stitch the slices back together and label the features. The raw data set alone took up 1.4 petabytes. “It’s probably the most computer-intensive work in all of neuroscience,” says Michael Hawrylycz, a computational neuroscientist at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, who was not involved in the research. “There is a Herculean amount of work involved.”

Many other brain atlases exist, but most provide much lower-resolution data. At the nanoscale, researchers can trace the brain’s wiring one neuron at a time to the synapses, the places where they connect. “To really understand how the human brain works, how it processes information, how it stores memories, we will ultimately need a map that’s at that resolution,” says Viren Jain, a senior research scientist at Google and coauthor on the paper, published in Science on May 9 . The data set itself and a preprint version of this paper were released in 2021 .

Brain atlases come in many forms. Some reveal how the cells are organized. Others cover gene expression. This one focuses on connections between cells, a field called “connectomics.” The outermost layer of the brain contains roughly 16 billion neurons that link up with each other to form trillions of connections. A single neuron might receive information from hundreds or even thousands of other neurons and send information to a similar number. That makes tracing these connections an exceedingly complex task, even in just a small piece of the brain..  

To create this map, the team faced a number of hurdles. The first problem was finding a sample of brain tissue. The brain deteriorates quickly after death, so cadaver tissue doesn’t work. Instead, the team used a piece of tissue removed from a woman with epilepsy during brain surgery that was meant to help control her seizures.

Once the researchers had the sample, they had to carefully preserve it in resin so that it could be cut into slices, each about a thousandth the thickness of a human hair. Then they imaged the sections using a high-speed electron microscope designed specifically for this project. 

Next came the computational challenge. “You have all of these wires traversing everywhere in three dimensions, making all kinds of different connections,” Jain says. The team at Google used a machine-learning model to stitch the slices back together, align each one with the next, color-code the wiring, and find the connections. This is harder than it might seem. “If you make a single mistake, then all of the connections attached to that wire are now incorrect,” Jain says. 

“The ability to get this deep a reconstruction of any human brain sample is an important advance,” says Seth Ament, a neuroscientist at the University of Maryland. The map is “the closest to the  ground truth that we can get right now.” But he also cautions that it’s a single brain specimen taken from a single individual. 

The map, which is freely available at a web platform called Neuroglancer , is meant to be a resource other researchers can use to make their own discoveries. “Now anybody who’s interested in studying the human cortex in this level of detail can go into the data themselves. They can proofread certain structures to make sure everything is correct, and then publish their own findings,” Jain says. (The preprint has already been cited at least 136 times .) 

The team has already identified some surprises. For example, some of the long tendrils that carry signals from one neuron to the next formed “whorls,” spots where they twirled around themselves. Axons typically form a single synapse to transmit information to the next cell. The team identified single axons that formed repeated connections—in some cases, 50 separate synapses. Why that might be isn’t yet clear, but the strong bonds could help facilitate very quick or strong reactions to certain stimuli, Jain says. “It’s a very simple finding about the organization of the human cortex,” he says. But “we didn’t know this before because we didn’t have maps at this resolution.”

The data set was full of surprises, says Jeff Lichtman, a neuroscientist at Harvard University who helped lead the research. “There were just so many things in it that were incompatible with what you would read in a textbook.” The researchers may not have explanations for what they’re seeing, but they have plenty of new questions: “That’s the way science moves forward.” 

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