Put your best figure forward: line graphs and scattergrams.

There is an old saying that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” In truth, only a well-prepared, selfexplanatory picture is worth a thousand words. The same holds true for research studies, for which 1 of the main methods we use to communicate our message is in figures and graphs. Figures and graphs tell much of the story by giving readers a visual anchor to help them see, understand, and remember information. Think about a report that you recently read and found useful. You likely do not remember the text used to state the results, or even the actual numbers, but you can recall much about the trends, relationships, outcomes, categories, or general experimental parameters shown in a graph. Despite the fact that you no longer have much recollection of the text, you can draw a reasonable representation of a graph from the published report and tell what you remember from it. In this educational article I discuss line graphs and scattergrams and use examples to illustrate how to put your best figure forward so readers will remember you and your message.