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SciCom – What Makes a Good Graphical Abstract?
Published 2 months ago • 3 min read
Discussing Graphical Abstracts
Hi Reader, want a short and concise option to communicate your science?
Graphical abstracts are a fantastic way to do so.
However, don’t make the mistake of thinking they are the same as a written abstract, just with pictures.
To design a good graphical abstract, we must properly understand its nuances:
What's Their Purpose?
Fundamentally, a graphical abstract is a visual way to express the main idea of a scientific paper.
There is an almost endless variety of designs and formats for graphical abstracts. I believe the ones in the upper left, upper right, and bottom are all well designed.
It should allow people to rapidly comprehend what your paper is about and what its main implications are.
To my mind, comprehension is the key word for gaining an intuitive understanding of what a good graphical abstract is doing.
What Makes It Unique
Still, a graphical abstract isn’t just a visualization of your written abstract. Although there will be quite some overlap in content, a graphical abstract:
Doesn’t actively address previous research (if any; it inherently includes information from previous work through the displayed content)
Doesn’t necessarily include methods even when the abstract does
Generally, doesn’t involve specific results; rather, it should transmit the final interpretation of your results
This graphical abstract is a perfect example: although it does not include explicit information about the methods used, it visualizes the experimental setting and the final conclusion, allowing the reader to infer what was done - namely, knocking out a gene. Of course, methods can also be explicitly shown when representing an important part of your work, e.g., when you significantly enhanced or applied a new method.
Therefore, some say that it should complement your written abstract as an eye-catcher.
However, I don’t think this is the most helpful way to think about it.
Your visual abstract should create intrigue, but not through an outstanding feature like an ad or a YouTube thumbnail does.
While it is true that a graphical abstract is more eye-catching than a block of text, its primary goal is clarity and good design, not attention capture in the way a thumbnail is meant to attract clicks (see the videos linked on top and bottom). It also differs from a poster when you design it to encourage viewers to stop and engage for longer. Of course, creative designs, appropriate color choices, and effective use of white space can make a graphical abstract visually appealing, but these are not its main priorities.
It should captivate by giving the viewer all the necessary information to decide whether your paper is the right thing to read.
Why Do We Need Them At All?
The point is that we can visually process information more quickly and with less mental effort than when reading text.
I think this graphical abstract does a great job of allowing the reader to quickly grasp the key takeaway - essentially, to understand what is visualized on the right. Importantly, it demonstrates how proper design is needed to prevent the viewer from being distracted by unnecessary graphics. Although this may seem unrelated, a well-designed graphical abstract suggests that the underlying content is valuable. In other words, good design helps build trust and sets expectations about the quality of the information.
Additionally, the use of visual features such as patterns, colors, and proximity allows us to convey information about relationships, processes, and importance effectively.
Of course, graphics are often easier to understand than words. That raises the question of the target audience.
These are examples from the very first set of icons from the ISOTYPE system that were developed to convey information to low-literate populations in the 1920s. A graphical abstract can be a great way to convey complicated set-ups even to a lay audience. However, the graphical abstract must then be intentionally designed for such viewers, as the results would generally be much too technical.
In short, it really depends on the context in which your abstract will be published.
When you design a graphical abstract for communication purposes, it might be for a broad, even lay, audience.
However, in more than 90% of cases, the graphical abstract will be for people from your or adjacent fields.
Unless you are actively trying to reach a general audience, it is very unlikely that a lay person will engage with your graphical abstract when you post it on social media. In short, you would need to design it specifically to explain your methods clearly - but even then, the information-dense, results-related content will pose a raod bump.
Often, we design graphical abstracts for paper submission to a journal. In this instance, it is almost exclusively other scientists from your field who will see your graphical abstract.
Generally, a good graphical abstract enables scientists from any field to get an idea of what you did, but it informs those who would also read your paper more deeply.
This Makes It Great
Taking all of that together, we can say that a good graphical abstract has the following features:
It has a structure that is easy for the eye to follow and digest
It features a simple style and therefore doesn’t feel overcrowded
It clearly highlights and prioritizes key takeaways through patterns or contrasts
It’s visually appealing (i.e., it has properly designed graphics, features a coherent style, and uses a clear color palette, etc.)
It allows the reader to quickly understand the setting and the implications of the work
Next, we will see how you go about creating a graphical abstract based on these principles.
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