Why is creating scientific figures important for your research?

If you've ever worked on scientific research, you know how important it is to have figures and/or tables to make your research more aesthetically attractive to your readers. And the reason for this is because figures are a lot easier to grasp at first glance, which means that the audience may immediately catch up on what you're stating without having to read dozens of paragraphs.

This article will explain why creating scientific figures is important, what it is, and how to produce a great scientific figure to strengthen your research.

What are scientific figures?

A scientific figure, like tables, figures and infographics, is intended to be a visually appealing asset that exhibits and communicates abstract concepts, facts, problems or any intriguing form of data relating to a certain research or subject.

They are intended to be very clear and simple to grasp since their primary objective is to make information more intelligible by describing data beyond technical terms. Unobservable or unimaginable data is what needs to be shown in scientific figures.

Why is creating scientific figures important for your research?

The importance of creating scientific figures for your research is based on the fact that visual assets make it simpler to grasp, retain knowledge, and take less time to read.

According to studies, people recall just 10% of what they learn after 72 hours. When text is complemented with a visual asset, people retain 65% of the data after three days.

It's reasonable to presume that most readers like to look rather than read, since it's much more beneficial when there is  a lot to take in at once. Trying to absorb paragraphs of written material may be exhausting.

When to use scientific figures in a research paper?

Creating scientific figures for your research is worth more than a thousand words. If you're undertaking a complex research with a lot of precise data and information, you'll almost certainly need to back it up with some visually attractive figures.

The key step is to determine which data requires a figure and which does not. You must evaluate what you can convey in brief sentences; if the data just takes one or two phrases, no figures are required.

However, if the data requires a lengthy paragraph, figures or tables may be the best way to communicate the information without overcrowding or complicating your research.

Steps on creating a successful scientific figure

1. Research

You must have a thorough knowledge of the information you intend to present in order to build a compelling and effective scientific figure. So make sure you conduct extensive research.

2. Sketch

After you have gathered all of the data and are clear about the information you want to provide, make the figure you pictured a reality and ensure that it makes sense and is understandable to anyone who reads it.

3. Use the right tool

You have a range of options for designing figures, some of which may be more sophisticated, such as Adobe Illustrations or Photoshop. However, if you are aiming for more simple, dynamic figures, try a platform designed specifically for scientific projects that has the largest gallery of templates for scientific illustrations.

4. Captions

Captions are required. The caption explains how to understand the figure and gives more detail regarding what cannot be expressed visually.

5. Color effective

Color is very essential in figures, and you must ensure that your figure is harmonic, that it does not have too many hues, that it is not overly saturated, and that color accessibility is not overlooked. Check the Viz Palette to ensure that your research is accessible to colorblinds.

Common mistakes to avoid in creating scientific figures

• Lack of consistency: using different fonts, sizes, markers and lines can be really confusing for the readers to understand each figure.

• Non-objective: Including unnecessary information might lead to incorrect interpretation.

• Chartjunk: A chartjunk is defined as the usage of too many colors, lines, strange backgrounds, grid lines, and other elements. Consider the best approach to present the data without making it appear sloppy.

• Highlights exploitation: Highlights are intended for relevant and critical data critical for comprehending the entire figure. Limit your highlights.