Research at a glance: The power of graphical abstracts
Millions of papers are published every year, thousands every day. How many of these papers are actually read and properly understood? Authors of a recent study that examined over 700,000 abstracts reported a consistent decline in the readability of scientific literature, undermining the reproducibility and accessibility of research.
How can you make a complex study attractive and interesting to a wide spectrum of readers who may not be familiar with the jargon of your field? How can you make your paper stand out to both specialist and generalist readers? Creating appealing and accessible formats such as lay summaries and visual abstracts can help greatly.
I’m a post-text abstract, in a post-text world!
Today’s highly digitized milieu is making researchers and publishers rethink the ways by which they can communicate their research using fewer words and richer content. Many scholarly publishers are encouraging authors to submit bulleted “highlights” and even “graphical abstracts” alongside their submissions.
A graphical abstract is a visual summary representing the primary findings in a concise and pictorial format. Different from the other figures in a scholarly article, a graphical abstract a visual summary of the research, communicating the research gap, questions, findings, and conclusions. It aims to enhance accessibility and comprehension of scientific articles.
Graphical abstracts make a lot of sense in the current age of rapid information dissemination, propped up by multimedia options, social media, open access, and the ever-increasing demands for easily digestible formats for consuming information.
(Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wielstra2019_Triturus_Graphical_Abstract.jpg)
Graphical abstract depicting the simplified phylogeny of the newt genus Triturus
You had me at hello! Six reasons why graphical abstracts are important
1. Humans are visual beings
Did you know that images are processed 6–600 times faster than words? And that the inclusion of an image in a tweet sizably increases viewer engagement? It is not surprising, therefore, that tweets sharing graphical abstracts to promote newly published articles have eight times more social media engagement and such papers have three times more views. The use of graphical abstracts is a win-win for journals, publishers, and authors, all of whom reap the benefits of increased visibility, clicks, and perhaps even citations.
2. Humans are in a hurry
We like our information like our coffee… “to go”! Always on the go, spending oodles of time on our smartphones, we want to skim and browse till we hit upon something we would like to read in depth. Graphical abstracts encourage browsing. Readers can quickly identify which papers are most relevant to their research interests just by skimming.
3. Graphical abstracts pique interest
These visual, easy-to-digest abstracts promote research interest among researchers and nonscientists alike. Catchy visuals, interesting color schemes, simple icons, and smart use of space and direction can capture one’s attention, lingering on the graphic more than one would on a wall of text.
4. Graphical abstracts are easy to grasp
A graphical abstract gives readers an immediate understanding of the take‐home message of the research. Without having to delve into the textual abstract, even a lay reader should be able to appreciate the crux of the research.
5. Graphical abstracts are easy to share
Besides their shareability on social media platforms, graphical abstracts may be used as thumbnail previews of publications. They can also be displayed on laboratory websites or in research grant applications.
6. Graphical abstracts also promote interdisciplinary scholarship
Direct and visual cues in the graphical abstract make the publication more understandable not only for researchers within the field but also for those outside it. A wider appreciation of a piece of research might foster interesting collaborations.
Every picture tells a story: How graphical abstracts are effective in academic communication
Your graphical abstract is akin to a movie poster, albeit with a plot reveal! How is this tool effective in academic communication?
1. Graphical abstracts improve accessibility
Graphical abstracts allow a wider and more diverse audience to appreciate complex research. Researchers from different disciplines, students, the general public, and policy makers can access and understand the latest research across various fields.
2. Graphical abstracts are suitable for dissemination on social media.
In a time when “less is more,” these bite-sized elements are perfectly positioned to be widely shared and reshared on social media. It is a powerful tool for science communication, increasing the visibility and impact of the research.
3. Graphical abstracts are amenable to image searches
Visual abstracts are captured by the image search function of search engines. This helps increase the reach of the research as it is no longer restricted to searchability by textual searches
Yesterday, today, and tomorrow
A quick throwback to the early sketches and manuscripts before the 17th century: amateur scientists and naturalists relied on intricate hand-drawn illustrations. There was an emphasis on aesthetics over scientific accuracy. With time, scientific accuracy improved, with detailed anatomical drawings and illustrations supporting emerging fields like botany, anatomy, and astronomy. Then, technical illustrations came about with advances in printing technology, allowing for more detailed reproductions. Eventually, the integration of color and multimedia elements enhanced visual communication. Cut to the 2020s; digital platforms for interactive illustrations abound. Animations can explain dynamic processes and complex scientific concepts, and tools for data visualization and infographics can be used to represent complex datasets. Some journals are even starting to include video abstracts now, and we can look forward to such formats becoming more common to use to promote and summarize research papers. Virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence will shape the future of more advanced and immersive abstract formats!
For now, it is clear that graphical abstracts can advance research communication and increase researcher impact. Can you tell your research story using a minimal amount of words and powerful graphics? Try creating a graphical abstract to communicate your work. With the array of tools and platforms to tinker around with, it won’t be long before you’ve set the ball rolling!
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