Figures

Data

Use suitable graphs to display the data you have collected.

• Discreet data (eg, counts) should be presented in a scatter plot or sometimes a bar graph. 
• Continuous data (eg, temperature, weight) should be presented in a line graph or histogram.

Error

If you plot averages/means or other calculated values, plot error bars showing the standard error or standard deviation of each mean value.

Variables

Independent variables are usually plotted on the x axis (horizontal axis). The independent variable is the variable set by the experimental design, eg, sampling times or distance along a transect at which measurements were taken.

Dependent variables are plotted on the y axis (vertical axis). The dependent variable is the measured variable, eg, weight measured at each time interval, or number of organisms recorded at each distance interval along a transect.

Labels

Label your graph axes clearly and specifically. For example, do not put a general term such as “number”, instead write “mean seedlings per m²”, or “number of aggressive encounters per minute”.

The title of the graph is included in the numbered figure caption (beneath the graph). Figure captions should contain enough information about the graph without the reader needing to check the main text.

Formatting

• removed gridlines, borders, Excel legends, and colour backgrounds
• ensured data points are clear but small
• included all relevant information in the figure caption