10 simple rules for better figures
Ten Simple Rules for Better Figures
Nicolas P. Rougier, Michael Droettboom, Philip E. Bourne
know your
audience
#01
If you are making a figure for yourself and your direct collaborators, you can possibly skip a number of steps in the design process, because each of you knows what the figure is about. However,if you intend to publish a figure in a scientific journal, you should make sure your figure is correct and conveys all the relevant information to a broader audience.
"
!=
≠
"While this is acceptable for a general-audience publication, it would not be acceptable in a scientific publication if actual numerical values were not given elsewhere in the article."
#02
identify your
message
Only after identifying the message will it be worth the time to develop your figure, just as you would take the time to craft your words and sentences when writing an article only after deciding on the main points of the text.
"
#03
adapt the figure
to the support medium
Article
Presentation
#04
captions are
not optional
The caption explains how to read the figure and provides additional precision for what cannot be graphically represented.
"
#05
do not trust
the defaults
#06
use color
effectively
#07
do not mislead
the reader
#08
avoid
"chartjunk"
#09
message trumps
beauty
"
Remember, in science, message and readability of the figure is the most important aspect while beauty is only an option.
#10
get the
right tool
Whether drawing a graph,
designing a schema of your experiment, or
plotting some data, there are open-source
tools for you.
"
GIMP
Matplotlib
Inkscape
Scribus
Blender
Copy of 10 simple rules for better figures
By tpaternina
Copy of 10 simple rules for better figures
Presentation for the lab meeting on 28/06/2016
