Visual abstracts are a relatively recent development in scientific publishing, and there is little guidance on making the most effective. Here we suggest five uses of graphical abstracts based on examples from publications in neuroscience and psychology:
Preview figures.
Depict the topic of the article.
Display some key data/conclusions.
Showcase supplementary figures not included in print.
Summarize methods used.
(1) Preview Figures – The common use of visual abstracts is to provide a fuller preview of the article content. This adds value for both authors and readers by allowing researchers to discover content they may not have known about otherwise while also indicating the type of data being presented, which can assist the reader in determining whether or not they are interested in reading more.
(2) Depicting The Topic – Visual abstracts allow authors to depict their research topic to potential readers before they start reading, helping them decide how much detail should be contained in an article. For example, if an author wants to highlight that their study was conducted on mice, it could be included as part of the visual abstract instead of wasting valuable text room describing this.
(3) Displaying Key Data/Conclusions – Without having to use several pages of text, authors can depict the key data and conclusions from their studies through visual abstracts.
(4) Showcasing Supplementary Figures Not Included in Print – A common frustration with journal publishing is that only a few figures are included in print with larger articles. Still, readers may find these images interesting or want more detail. If this is the case, there’s no need for readers to hunt down supplementary figures as they can be located within the visual abstract. This allows authors to include all necessary figure information while also maintaining the ability for readers to discover additional content based on their interests.
(5) Summarizing Methods Used – There are times when authors may include methodological details within the text, but this can be confusing or tedious for readers to follow. Visual abstracts allow authors to depict the methods used without having to use several paragraphs of text. This allows readers an overview of what was involved in the study while also maintaining the flow of the article.
Visual abstracts have been around since 2009, which is relatively recent compared to other scientific publishing formats. However, they have gained popularity rapidly and don’t show signs of disappearing anytime soon due to providing more insight into articles before reading them.
