How to Write a Good Scientific Paper: Figures, Part 1

Abstract

Figures are an extremely important part of any scientific publication. It is a rare paper that contains no figures (such papers are mostly of the theoretical variety, though even a pure theory paper often benefits from a good graph). As the renowned guru of graphics Edward Tufte put it, “At their best, graphics are instruments for reasoning about quantitative information.”1 Since almost all scientific publications include quantitative information to be reasoned about, figures are almost always called for.