939 B
939 B
Figure Interpretation Guide
A scientific figure is incomplete until the text answers:
- why the figure exists,
- what the reader should notice,
- why that observation matters.
Minimal interpretation block
For each figure, provide:
- Purpose: the research question this figure addresses
- Observation: the concrete pattern seen in the plot
- Interpretation: the mechanism or explanation supported by the evidence
- Implication: what decision, next experiment, or claim changes because of it
Caption checklist
A usable caption should specify:
- what is plotted,
- what each axis means,
- sample size,
- what error bars / ribbons represent,
- any normalization or smoothing,
- any significance marker convention.
Anti-patterns
- restating the axis labels as “interpretation”
- giving only aesthetic comments
- making causal claims unsupported by the plot
- repeating the caption without adding insight