Activity time: 15 Minutes
Types of media: Webpage
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Sometimes words aren’t the most effective way to communicate. Using graphs, tables and charts can help your reader to get a clearer picture of your research findings and how they compare with other data. Using drawings, diagrams and photographs can clearly present information that would be difficult to explain in words.
This page includes advice on when and how to use graphical information.
- Common forms of graphical information
- When to use graphs, tables and charts
- Layout, labelling and referring to figures
- Using drawings, diagrams and photographs
Common forms of graphical information
The key is to consider what is needed to do the job you need doing. It’s especially important with drawings, diagrams and photographs to always ask yourself whether they are necessary – what would happen if they weren’t there?
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When to use tables, graphs and charts
Graphical formats for data are used when they are a more useful way of conveying something about the information than text alone: when they ‘add value’ to the textual description of the data. The important thing is to use graphical information appropriately – not just because you think you ought to.
Consider carefully which is the best way to present your data. Read through the brief descriptions above and choose the format that is most appropriate for what you are trying to convey. It should never be necessary to present the same information in two different graphical formats.
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Layout, labelling and reference to
All graphs, charts, drawings, diagrams and photographs should be numbered consecutively as Figures according to where they come in the text (e.g. Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3 etc).
All tables should be numbered using a separate sequence (e.g. Table 1, Table 2 etc).
If your sections are numbered, you may number figures and tables in separate sequences that refer to the section number (e.g. in section 3 you would have, Figure 3.1, Figure 3.2 etc).
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Using drawings, diagrams and photographs
Complex processes and detailed descriptions can often be better represented visually in a diagram, drawing or photo. For example, a very technical manufacturing system could be explained using a flow diagram.
Make sure all your images are large enough, and of a high enough quality, to be read easily and that they are labelled clearly to explain what they show.
You will need to reference any diagrams and photos you use if they have been created by another person.
