Video: Importance of graphical abstracts

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In this video, hear what Laura Dormer, Editor-in-Chief of Learned Publishing had to say about graphical abstracts when interviewed by Roohi Ghosh, Ambassador for Researcher Success at Cactus Communications.

Transcript:

0:06

My next question is for graphical abstracts.  Today, graphical abstracts are very popular,  

0:12

you know, with many journals either mandating  it or recommending it. So what role do you  

0:17

think graphical abstracts play today, and how  do you think authors can effectively create,  

0:23

such abstracts that can enhance, you  know, their chances of acceptance or,  

0:29

you know, just the outreach of  their people? Yeah. Absolutely.

0:33

I mean, I'm I'm quite a big fan  of, of graphical abstracts and and,  

0:36

you know, different types of, infograph  different ways of presenting information,  

0:40

basically. And I think what's really nice  about, a graphical abstract is, first of all,  

0:47

it gives you that really nice, snapshot of  a piece of work. It it sort of summarizes  

0:52

in a nice sort of straightforward infographic  style, what the paper is about. And as we know,  

0:58

people that are reading, articles are very  time poor. I think there's, you know, very few,  

1:04

academics and researchers now that will  sit down and read a journal cover to cover,  

1:08

but they will look at abstracts and they will sort  of look at conclusions and those kind of things.

1:12

And if you've got a graphical abstract in there,  I think you've got a much better chance of,  

1:17

that information sort of standing out and sticking  with with the reader. The other great thing about,  

1:23

graphical abstracts in particular is that they're  very good for, sharing on social media. So,  

1:30

you know, whether it's, x or LinkedIn or  whatever else, it's it's nice to be able  

1:35

to give that image, that graphical, interpretation  of the work that's been done, because, you know,  

1:43

as we know, when we're scrolling through social  media, it's it's things that, that are more,  

1:48

graphically led that that stand out to you.  And I think that can really help. I think  

1:52

there's even been, you know, studies  and so forth done about the usage of  

1:57

papers that have graphical abstracts or,  you know, different types of abstracts.

2:00

There's sort of there's other options as well, but  thinking about graphical abstracts in particular,  

2:04

improving the the readership of a particular  article and the reach that it that it then  

2:09

has because if people see it on social media,  they share it with their colleagues and so on  

2:13

and so forth. That being said, I think they  they are a skill, to do, and I think a lot  

2:22

of journals are now starting to either, as you  say, mandate them or certainly, encourage them,  

2:28

alongside a particular piece of work, might  be that you want to, think about working with,  

2:35

someone who's got some experience, in creating  them, or certainly having a look at ones that have  

2:40

been published previously, particularly I suppose  in the in the journal that you're targeting with  

2:45

your submission, to seek the kind of style, the  format, how how to go about it because it can be,  

2:51

you know, it's hard enough to write I think the,  the text abstract of an article and if you're not  

2:56

perhaps maybe graphically minded, to interpret  that into it down into an infographic can be  

3:01

quite challenging. So perhaps, you know, working  with individuals that have a bit of experience in  

3:06

that area could be, helpful, especially if it's  the first the first one that you've, you've done.

3:12

Yeah. The the quality can be quite varied from  the from having received back the abstracts in  

3:17

the past, the quality can be quite, variable.  So I think, yeah, it's just that some people are  

3:24

less or more, comfortable with, you know,  visual design and tech. Yeah. Absolutely.

3:31

I'm I'm a text person, so I would never I would I  would definitely go work with somebody else to to  

3:35

help me to do it. Right. And I think Editage  also at at this point, I'll just, like, quickly,  

3:42

just tell everybody we basically launched  Graphical Abstract Services as well. So I'd  

3:46

like to request someone from the Editage team to  maybe just put in, a link to, to that in chat. So  

3:53

if there's anybody who wants to explore graphical  abstracts can, can take a look at that as well. Website link: https://www.editage.com/services/graphical-abstract-design-visual-abstract-services