{"id":10533,"date":"2019-10-24T20:11:43","date_gmt":"2019-10-24T22:11:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mindthegraph.com\/?p=10533"},"modified":"2024-06-20T15:32:47","modified_gmt":"2024-06-20T18:32:47","slug":"create-effective-graphical-abstract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindthegraph.com\/blog\/create-effective-graphical-abstract\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Create An Effective Graphical Abstract"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Graphical abstracts are incredibly popular in scientific research these days. The best scientific journals are already using them and more are about to. Our goal with this post is to connect you with the necessary steps to create awesome graphical abstracts and outline the basics of graphic design for scientific publications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a few crucial steps to creating a graphical abstract<\/a>. If you\u2019re not familiar with what we mean by graphical abstract, it\u2019s literally a scientific figure<\/a> that explains scientific information in a visual form. A modern way to call it is \u201can infographic\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See one interesting graphical abstract example below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And here are at Mind the Graph<\/a> a few more examples of graphical abstracts that are definitely worth checking out.
In this post, you\u2019ll learn essential concepts about designing a graphical abstract, discover how to create one and use a powerful abstract design tool called Mind the Graph to create graphical abstracts for your publications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Create Effective Graphical Abstracts in Minutes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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What Is A Graphical Abstract?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A graphical abstract is one single\u2010panel image that is designed to give readers an immediate understanding of the take\u2010home message of the scientific paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It intends to encourage browsing, promote interdisciplinary scholarship, and help readers quickly identify which papers are most relevant to their research interests \u2013  according to the Cell Press guideline1<\/sup>, which also applies to Elsevier2<\/sup> journals and many more publishers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ideal graphical abstract should be self-explanatory. The reader should quickly understand it and be able to decide whether to read your paper or not. If you achieve this, your graphical abstract is successful and effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An important thing to have in mind is that your research is already pretty complex. So, your graphical abstract shouldn\u2019t be. Be concise and direct, use a minimal amount of words, and rely on powerful graphics for your graphical abstract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mind the Graph Graphical Abstract Template<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Ready to get started at Mind the Graph?<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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What Makes An Effective Graphical Abstract?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A graphical abstract is a figure that explains the message of a research paper in a clear and attractive way. It\u2019s generally published together with other elements of the paper, like TITLE, LIST OF AUTHORS, and ABSTRACT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea of the graphical abstract is to communicate together with the other elements of the scientific paper. Not all publishers are using graphical abstracts at the moment, but this is an initiative of Elsevier, probably the biggest scientific publisher in the world, which is followed by some important ones, like Cell and Springer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is not a \u201ccorrect\u201d form to create a graphical abstract, but specific guidelines are being published. We will share some information from a guideline published by Cell Press called \u201cCell Press Graphical Abstract Guidelines\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An effective graphical abstract will attract the attention of your reader and it\u2019s useful to screen the information very rapidly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It does not intend to substitute the paper nor the written abstract, but rather to attract curiosity to it. The intention is mainly to briefly introduce the subject of the paper and summarize information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Click on the image to use this Mind the Graph illustration: Protein Synthesis<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Start Using Mind the Graph Right Now For Free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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How To Make A Graphical Abstract?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, how to make an abstract? The basic process of creating a graphical abstract is as follows: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Conceptualize<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Sketch<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Design<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Most scientists believe that they cannot create effective graphical abstracts because they cannot illustrate. That\u2019s not true at all.<\/strong> Scientific illustrations<\/a> are just a part of an effective graphical abstract, and while no one can conceptualize your graphical abstracts, you can find scientific illustrations on Mind the Graph<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Find Scientific Illustrations on Mind the Graph’s gallery. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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    Back to those three steps: (1) concept, (2) sketch, and (3) design & refine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The first two steps are done on paper, and we only move to graphic design software<\/a> for the third step. The graphical abstract concept is the very first thing. You need to decide what is the main message<\/strong> of your graphical abstract<\/strong> and who is your audience. It\u2019s like thinking about what story you want to tell and to whom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You did the research and have a lot of results to communicate, but remember, don\u2019t overcomplicate. Try to think like the reader and summarize your paper to the most important thing you discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Your goal with the graphical abstract is normally defined by the content<\/strong> and audience<\/strong>. So, keep it in mind. And keep it simple. Here are some graphical abstract tips to help you create the best abstract ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Create Effective Graphical Abstracts in Minutes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    Focus On Content Uniqueness And Clarity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The graphical abstract for a paper should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n