Scientific writing 3.0: A reader and writer's guide - Jean-Luc Lebrun, Justin Lebrun 2021

Purpose and qualities of visuals
Visuals: the voice of your paper
Paper structure and purpose

Purpose of the visual for the reader

· It allows self-discovery of the paper.

· It helps the reader verify the claims of the writer.

· It saves reading time by allowing faster understanding of complex information and faster understanding of problem and solution.

· It provides a direct (shortcut) and pleasurable (memorable) access to the writer’s contribution.

Purpose of the visual for the writer

· It makes the paper more concise by replacing many words, particularly in the introduction where it provides fast context, and helps bridge knowledge gaps.

· It motivates readers to read more, yet allows them not to have to read all.

· It provides compelling evidence, in particular evidence of contribution.

· It enables the writer to represent complex relationships succinctly.

· It (re) captures the reader’s attention and improves memory recall.