Figures - Charts and graphs - Tables and figures - Part III. Style 20 spelling

A manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations, 7th edition - Kate L. Turabian 2007

Figures - Charts and graphs
Tables and figures
Part III. Style 20 spelling

The term figure refers to a variety of images, including charts, graphs, diagrams, photographs, maps, musical examples, and drawings. Most such materials can now be prepared and inserted into a paper electronically. The technical details are software-specific and too complex to be covered in this book, but some general guidelines are presented in A.3.1 in the appendix.

This section describes some principles for presenting two types of figures created from data: charts and graphs. It also discusses captions for figures of all kinds.

Treat videos, animations, or other multimedia files that cannot be presented in print form as an appendix (see A.2.3).

26.3.1 Charts and graphs

In many situations, you may choose to present data in a chart or graph. Chapter 8 describes criteria for using these graphic forms as well as general design principles for them. It also provides examples of several different types of graphics. For detailed guidance on constructing charts and graphs, consult a reliable authority.

Each chart and graph in your paper should take the form that best communicates its data and supports its claim, but consistency both within and across these items is essential in ensuring that readers will understand your data. Keep in mind the following principles when presenting charts and graphs of any type:

Represent elements of the same kind—axes, lines, data points, bars, wedges—in the same way. Use distinct visual effects only to make distinctions, never just for variety.

Use arabic numerals for all numerical data.

Label all axes using sentence-style capitalization. Keep the labels short, following practices for good table titles (see 8.3.1). Use the figure caption (see 26.3.2) to explain any aspects of the data that cannot be captured in the labels. To save space, you can use abbreviations and symbols more freely than you can in text, but use them sparingly and consistently. If standard abbreviations do not exist, create your own and explain them either in the caption or, if there are many, in a list of abbreviations in your paper's front matter (see A.2.1).

Label lines, data points, or other items within the chart or graph that require explanation using either all lowercase letters (for single words) or sentence-style capitalization (for phrases). If phrases and single words both appear, they should all be styled the same (as in fig. 8.3). The other principles described above for axis labels also apply to labels of this type.

Avoid shading and color. Even if you print the paper on a color printer, it may be printed or copied later on a black-and-white machine, and the shading and color might not reproduce well. If you use shading, make sure it does not obscure the text of the figure, and do not use multiple shades, which might not reproduce distinctly.