Figures for Scientific Documents
and Presentations
S. L. Cooper
David Hertzog
Alan Nathan
Orbitals in the CuO2 Plane
Courtesy A. Yazdani
The importance of figures
“Graphic excellence is that which gives to the viewer the
greatest number of ideas in the shortest time with the least ink
in the smallest place” - Edward R. Tufte “Figures play a significant role in the expression of scientific
ideas” - APS Style Guide -
Imagine presentations without figures…
Figures can be used to do
many things in a talk or paper:
• Illustrate a physical process
• Show data
• Illustrate how something works
• Provide an illustration of how something might look
• Provide a picture of equipment, device,
collaborator, etc.
Figures that show physics
processes
ντ
τ−
Wh
∆ G/G (%)
Figures that display data
0.08
0.04
0
-0.04
-0.08
0
Labels and Units
100
200
300
400
500
time (µs)
Figures that display data
muon decay
Excess loss rate
Constant loss rate
Uncertainty, mostly
due to protons
Counts per 150 ns
Figures that display data
10
10
10
10
10
6
5
4
3
2
0
20
40
60
80
100
Counts per 150 ns
Counts per 150 ns
3
x10
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
32
34
36
38
40
time (µs)
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
692
694
696
698
time (µs)
Figures that display data
Illustrations
When presenting images, you choose between
photographs, drawings, and diagrams
4
1
Combustor
2
Compressor
3
Turbine
Source: The Craft of Scientific Presentations, Michael Alley
and http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/handbook/visuals.html
Illustrations
The main advantage of photographs is realism
60 seconds
59.5 seconds
59 seconds
Figure 2. Space Shuttle Challenger, from about 59 seconds to 60
seconds into launch (January 28, 1986). On the right rocket, flame
first becomes visible and then impinges on tank.
Source: The Craft of Scientific Presentations, Michael Alley
and http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/handbook/visuals.html
Illustrations
One advantage of drawings is control of detail
Combustor Simulator
Turbine Vanes
Secondary
Flow
Dilution Jet
Primary
Flow
Secondary
Flow
Film-Cooling
Holes
Figure 5. Wind tunnel experiment at Virginia Tech for evaluating
film-cooling designs for the blades of gas turbine engines [Thole
and others, 2000].
Source: The Craft of Scientific Presentations, Michael Alley
and http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/handbook/visuals.html
Figures that illustrate the
microscale
STM
100 Å
Illustrations
The main advantage of a diagram is the ability to
show flow of a variable through a system
Figure 8. Schematic of test stand for evaluating
components of an air conditioner design.
Source: The Craft of Scientific Presentations, Michael Alley
and http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/handbook/visuals.html
Illustrations
Scientists and engineers often use illustrations
that are too complex for the text
The thermal storage system
stores heat in a huge, steelwalled tank. Steam from
the solar receiver passes
through heat exchangers
to heat the thermal oil,
which is pumped into the
tank. The tank then
provides energy to run a
steam generator to
produce electricity. A
schematic of this system
is shown in Figure 5.
RECEIVER
DSPH
TSU
TSH
FLASH
TANK
FT
DEARATOR
TURBINE
HP
HTR
Figure 5. Schematic of thermal
storage system.
Source: The Craft of Scientific Presentations, Michael Alley
and http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/handbook/visuals.html
HOT
WELL
T
S
S
G
Illustrations
The precision of the illustrations
should reflect the precision of the text
The thermal storage system, shown in Figure 6, stores
heat in a huge, steel-walled tank. Steam from the solar
receiver heats a thermal oil, which is pumped into the tank.
The tank then provides energy to run a steam generator to
produce electricity.
650°F
580°F
Heat
Exchanger
solar
receiver
435°F
Thermal
Tank
425°F
530°F
575°F
Heat
Exchanger
425°F
steam
generator
250°F
Figure 6. Schematic of thermal storage system for the solar
power plant.
Source: The Craft of Scientific Presentations, Michael Alley
and http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/handbook/visuals.html
Illustrations
For clarity, you should introduce and
explain illustrations in the text
..., as shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7. Title of figure. Some formats allow you extra
sentences to explain unusual details.
Source: The Craft of Scientific Presentations, Michael Alley
and http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/handbook/visuals.html
Illustrations
Inconsistencies between text and
images disrupt fluidity
The testing hardware of the
rocket shown in Figure 8 has
five main components: camera,
digitizer, computer, I/O interface,
and mechanical interface.
Commands are generated by the
computer, then passed through
the I/O interface to the
mechanized interface where the
keyboard of the ICU is operated.
The display of the ICU is read
with a television camera and
then digitized. This information
is then manipulated by the
computer to direct the next
command.
CONTROL
TERMINAL
PRINTER
CAMERA
DIGITIZER
ROCKET
COMPUTER
ELECTROMECHANICAL
INTERFACE
Figure 8. Testing hardware.
Source: The Craft of Scientific Presentations, Michael Alley
and http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/handbook/visuals.html
Figures that show how
something works
Figures that show how
something works
Proton Spectrometer
Polarimeter
Radiator
e-
e-
LH2
γ
Deflection magnet
Lead-Glass Calorimeter
e−
γ
Figures that show how
p
something works
e or γ
θ1/2 = mπ/E
RCS
deflected ep
π0
e'
γ'
Figures that show scale
CERN - LHC
Figures that show equipment
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11111111111111
cryostat
00000000000000
11111111111111
00000000000000
11111111111111
00000000000000
11111111111111
00000000000000
11111111111111
00000000000000
11111111111111
000000000000000
111111111111111
000000000000000
111111111111111
000000000000000
111111111111111
000000000000000
111111111111111
111111111111111
000000000000000
00000
11111
111111111111111
000000000000000
00000
11111
00000
11111
00000
11111
00000
11111
storage area
00000
11111
00000
11111
00000
11111
00000
11111
vacuum chamber
00000
11111
00000
11111
00000
11111
00000
11111
000000000000000
111111111111111
000000000000000
111111111111111
000000000000000
111111111111111
000000000000000
111111111111111
000000000000000
111111111111111
000000000000000
111111111111111
00000000000000
11111111111111
00000000000000
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00000000000000
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superconducting
00000000000000
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11111111111111
00000000000000
11111111111111
00000000000000
coil
Figures that “peer inside”
Figures that persuade
Theory
Experiment
August 2002
New e+e- Data
New τ-only Data
11659140
11659180
11659220
Anomalous Magnetic Moment [x 10
-10
]
Figures that have a problem
The most famous figure I know that just can’t be read, ever …
An attempt to clean this up
(courtesy, Dave Hertzog)
Water
Gallium
Flux [unit]
1011
pp
109
Chlorine
7Be
7Be
pep
107
9B
105
103
101
0.1
0.3
1.0
3.0
Neutrino Energy [MeV]
10.0
Figures that confuse
Same physics, different
figures: The SAMPLE Expt.
Different figures for different
purposes
10
3000
y
1520
140
y
120
2000
93.6 mph/3040 rpm/1.83g
1500
100
1000
1480
0
1460
y
-1000
80
dy (mm)
y (mm) 60
dy(1.83g)
40
z
0
1440
<v>=72 mph
ω=4900 rpm
a =1.58g
-2000
5
20
z
1420
0
dy(1.35g)
y
-3000
0.00
1400
0.04
0.08
0.12
0.16
t (s)
Less Detail: appropriate
for colloquium-type talk
-20
0.00
0.02
0.04
0.06
t (sec)
0.08
0.10
-5
0.12
More Detail: appropriate for
more specialized audience
Some final tips
• Use figures to add interest to your papers & talks
• Make them clear, simple and memorable
• Remove the words you don’t need
• Label all your data plots !!