Researchers that have already submitted papers to the Annals of Surgery will be able to <\/span>build<\/span> visual abstracts<\/a> about their researches and add to previously published studies. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n “As the Creative Director at <\/span>Annals of Surgery<\/span>, I have been working on better means to disseminate researc<\/span>h. One approach is to visually summarize key points from the article in a “visual abstract.” Some examples can be seen below as well as on Twitter by following the hashtag #VisualAbstract.” <\/span>Andrew M. Ibrahim<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Dr. Ibrahim’s bio is really interesting, linking design and medicine. We loved it, he’s a very inspiring professional! You can see it here as well, where he offers a fellowship on design and health.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Creating a visual abstract it’s not that difficult if you have the right resources, like Mind the Graph<\/a>. However, since most scientists still don\u2019t know how to produce visual information, the journal provided an amazing guide<\/a> explaining how to create visual abstracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In it, there are basic rules about the type of information you should be looking for and putting together to build the visual abstract<\/a>. Check some below: The more complex is the article, the more time you should spend time narrowing the key message that you want to deliver. Simplify to establish a focus. This way is easier for your audience to get the “take-home message” of what you wanna communicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rapid Prototyping<\/strong><\/span> As Dr. Ibrahim’s says “Your 1st, 2nd or 10th visual abstract won\u2019t be your best one. You will improve significantly by rapidly trying new formats and seeing what works! Iterative Improvement. Rather than ask, “Is it perfect?”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are still in doubt, as a colleague to read the visual abstract and tell you what the research is about. It would be an insightful conversation ad what we call an “interactive process” of visual design. You will significantly improve by soliciting feedback and studying other designs as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thoughtful Restraint<\/strong><\/span> The visual abstract should provide context to your reader, but if not well designed it may also distract from the key message. In the case of visual abstracts, more is not always better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Relevant Creativity<\/strong><\/span> These principles are based on the design contributions on how to craft an effective visual message. As Dr. Ibrahim suggests “You will want to embrace some principles of design when creating your visual abstract”. You can see some of these principles in action here<\/a> in this Mind the Graph’s Experience video showing the design of a visual abstract:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nVisual abstracts <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Focus on the user experience<\/span>
<\/strong>Always keep the reader in mind. If you’re planning for social media communication, think about what your audience on Twitter would like to know about that specific scientific research. Have clarity of purpose in mind while designing your visual abstract. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are infinite ways to visually display research. We recommend that you try first on paper or with very brief scratches on your preferred online tool. I like to create a mind map even before starting so that the content is roughly organized even before you start. Content organization is already the first start and the most difficult part that is often overlooked!). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prioritize the key message over completeness. You don’t need to feed the whole information at once, plan for step-by-step instruction for your reader. Just the key message should be in the visual abstract, keep the rest for the other elements of the research paper, like the abstract section and the paper itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Always balance your design creativity with thoughtful restraint and clarity of purpose. Don’t need to “appear creative” by using many resources and fancy elements, like 3D images where you don’t need it. Focus on the information you wanna pass on your visual abstract. Experimenting \u201cjust to be different\u201d isn\u2019t always effective. Remember, the illustrations are not the message, they are the media. The same thing for the use of colors, be insightful, as colors are also information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n