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5 Tips for Creating a Graphical Abstract

December 12, 2023

What is a graphical abstract?

A graphical abstract is a visual representation or summary of the main findings or key points of a research article. It is typically an image or diagram that highlights the most important aspects of the study. This allows readers to quickly understand the main conclusions of the research without having to read the entire paper. Graphical abstracts are often placed at the beginning of an article or included in the abstract section. They serve as a visual aid to attract attention and provide a snapshot of the study's content. By presenting key findings in a visually appealing and concise manner, graphical abstracts enhance the accessibility and understanding of the research.

Graphical abstracts can take various forms depending on the field of study and the preferences of the journal or publication. They may include illustrations, diagrams, graphs, or photographs to convey information. The content of a graphical abstract can include research objectives, methodology, key results, major conclusions, and implications of the study.

It is important to note that graphical abstracts differ from visual abstracts in some ways. In general, visual abstracts are more table-like and show the numerical results of a study. These are often included in clinical studies. Graphical abstracts are a pictorial representation of a study's results, similar to an infographic.

Overall, graphical abstracts serve as a powerful tool to summarize complex research and communicate its significance to a broader audience.

What is the purpose of a graphical abstract?

Graphical abstracts are designed to catch the reader's attention and pique their interest in the research. By presenting visually appealing and eye-catching images or diagrams, graphical abstracts can draw readers into the article and encourage them to read further. A recent study found that the yearly average use of an article is doubled when compared with those without a graphical abstract.

By providing a visual overview, graphical abstracts make scientific research more accessible to a broader audience. They can be particularly useful for non-experts, students, or researchers from other fields who may not have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter. Graphical abstracts allow readers to understand the main points of the study without requiring specialized expertise.

Additionally, graphical abstracts can be shared independently of the full article on various platforms such as conference posters, social media, or journal websites. They serve as a promotional tool to attract attention and generate interest in the research, potentially leading to increased visibility and citations.

Five tips for creating an effective graphical abstract

1. focus on key messages.

Research is exciting, and it is natural to want to include all the findings of your study. However, it is important to identify the main messages or key findings of your research and prioritize them in your graphical abstract. Keep it concise and avoid overwhelming the audience with too much data or too many images. Choose the most important elements that effectively convey the main points of your study.

2. Focus on visual elements

Visual elements such as illustrations, diagrams, graphs, or photographs can greatly enhance the impact of your graphical abstract. Select visuals that are clear, relevant, and visually appealing. Use colors, shapes, and fonts strategically to create a cohesive and engaging design. Overwhelming the reader with too much text is not effective. Therefore, take your time to create graphics that illustrate your main points.

3. Keep it simple!

Simplify complex concepts or data into easily understandable visuals. Avoid excessive text or details that may confuse or distract the reader. Aim for a clean and streamlined design that highlights the main points without unnecessary clutter. Graphical abstracts may be shared with the general public via social media or journal websites. Therefore, it is important that the general population can understand the main points of your study.

4. Maintain consistency

Ensure consistency in style, color scheme, and overall design with the rest of your research article or paper. This helps create a cohesive and professional look, making it easier for readers to associate the graphical abstract with the main content. Graphical abstracts with too many colors or multiple fonts can look messy and unorganized. This can confuse and overwhelm readers and they may overlook the main points of your research. 

5. Adhere to journal guidelines

Most journals have specific requirements for graphical abstracts and images. Journals aim to maintain a consistent look and feel across their articles, including graphical abstracts. By providing guidelines, they ensure that the graphical abstracts submitted by authors align with the journal's overall style and branding. Consistency in design elements helps readers easily recognize and associate the graphical abstract with the specific journal. Additionally, journals optimize their images for print or online publication. Therefore it is important to follow their guidelines regarding resolution, image size, etc. 

Example of a graphical abstract

Below is an example of a successful graphical abstract. In this abstract, a strict color scheme is used (blue, red, and white, with black text). The text is minimal, and the use of arrows guide the reader to the main results of the study.

Abstract created by Kerry Stricker, American Journal Experts Study: Zettel Nalen, Catherine M., et al. "Oviposition substrate selection by Florida mosquitoes in response to pathogen‐infected conspecific larvae." Journal of Vector Ecology 38.1 (2013): 182-187. Some additional examples of graphical abstracts can be found at this link .

Assistance with graphical abstracts

You may be thinking, “This all sounds great, but I am not familiar with creating electronic graphics”. That’s okay! 

There are several options available to you. Some journals will create a graphical abstract for you after your manuscript has been accepted for publication. For those that don’t, you can use a graphical abstract service, such as the custom illustration service provided by AJE. Some institutions, such as universities, offer in-house graphic design, or you can hire a freelance graphic designer to fit your needs. Remember, regardless of the method you choose, it's important to provide the person creating the graphical abstract with a clear understanding of your research, key messages, and any specific requirements from the journal. Effective communication and collaboration will help ensure that the graphical abstract accurately represents your research and meets your expectations.

Final thoughts

Before finalizing your graphical abstract, test it for clarity and impact. Share it with colleagues or peers and gather feedback on its effectiveness in conveying the main messages of your research. Make revisions if necessary to improve clarity, readability, and overall visual impact.

Remember, the goal of a graphical abstract is to provide a clear and concise visual summary of your research. Keeping it focused , visually appealing , and easy to understand is key.

 About the author

Catherine Zettel Nalen

Catherine Zettel Nalen is currently an Academic Editor - Operations Specialist and Journal Recommendation Team Lead at Research Square Company, helping researchers around the world communicate and disseminate their research findings. She is a formally trained Medical/Veterinary Entomologist with experience in infectious disease epidemiology. She previously worked for the United States Department of Agriculture conducting vector-borne disease research, as well as in applied public health, serving as a Vector Entomologist, Environmental Health Director, and Public Health Emergency Preparedness Specialist.

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How To Create An Effective Graphical Abstract

Discover how to create an effective graphical abstract. This guide helps you craft a compelling visual summary to enhance research impact.

Graphical abstracts are incredibly popular in scientific research these days. The best scientific journals are already using them and more are about to. Our goal with this post is to connect you with the necessary steps to create awesome graphical abstracts and outline the basics of graphic design for scientific publications.

There are a few crucial steps to creating a graphical abstract . If you’re not familiar with what we mean by graphical abstract, it’s literally a scientific figure that explains scientific information in a visual form. A modern way to call it is “an infographic”.

See one interesting graphical abstract example below:

And here are at Mind the Graph a few more examples of graphical abstracts that are definitely worth checking out. In this post, you’ll learn essential concepts about designing a graphical abstract, discover how to create one and use a powerful abstract design tool called Mind the Graph to create graphical abstracts for your publications.

What Is A Graphical Abstract?

A graphical abstract is one single‐panel image that is designed to give readers an immediate understanding of the take‐home message of the scientific paper.

It intends to encourage browsing, promote interdisciplinary scholarship, and help readers quickly identify which papers are most relevant to their research interests –  according to the Cell Press guideline 1 , which also applies to Elsevier 2 journals and many more publishers.

The ideal graphical abstract should be self-explanatory. The reader should quickly understand it and be able to decide whether to read your paper or not. If you achieve this, your graphical abstract is successful and effective.

An important thing to have in mind is that your research is already pretty complex. So, your graphical abstract shouldn’t be. Be concise and direct, use a minimal amount of words, and rely on powerful graphics for your graphical abstract.

What Makes An Effective Graphical Abstract?

A graphical abstract is a figure that explains the message of a research paper in a clear and attractive way. It’s generally published together with other elements of the paper, like TITLE, LIST OF AUTHORS, and ABSTRACT.

The idea of the graphical abstract is to communicate together with the other elements of the scientific paper. Not all publishers are using graphical abstracts at the moment, but this is an initiative of Elsevier, probably the biggest scientific publisher in the world, which is followed by some important ones, like Cell and Springer.

There is not a “correct” form to create a graphical abstract, but specific guidelines are being published. We will share some information from a guideline published by Cell Press called “Cell Press Graphical Abstract Guidelines”.

An effective graphical abstract will attract the attention of your reader and it’s useful to screen the information very rapidly.

It does not intend to substitute the paper nor the written abstract, but rather to attract curiosity to it. The intention is mainly to briefly introduce the subject of the paper and summarize information.

How To Make A Graphical Abstract?

So, how to make an abstract? The basic process of creating a graphical abstract is as follows:

• Conceptualize

Most scientists believe that they cannot create effective graphical abstracts because they cannot illustrate. That’s not true at all. Scientific illustrations are just a part of an effective graphical abstract, and while no one can conceptualize your graphical abstracts, you can find scientific illustrations on Mind the Graph .

Back to those three steps: (1) concept, (2) sketch, and (3) design & refine.

The first two steps are done on paper, and we only move to graphic design software for the third step. The graphical abstract concept is the very first thing. You need to decide what is the main message of your graphical abstract and who is your audience. It’s like thinking about what story you want to tell and to whom.

You did the research and have a lot of results to communicate, but remember, don’t overcomplicate. Try to think like the reader and summarize your paper to the most important thing you discovered.

Your goal with the graphical abstract is normally defined by the content and audience . So, keep it in mind. And keep it simple. Here are some graphical abstract tips to help you create the best abstract ever.

Focus On Content Uniqueness And Clarity

The graphical abstract for a paper should:

• Have a clear start and end, “reading” from top‐to‐bottom or left‐to‐right;
• Provide a visual indication of the biological context of the results depicted (subcellular location, tissue or cell type, species, etc.);
• Be distinct from any model figures or diagrams included in the paper itself;
• Emphasize the new findings from the current paper without including excess details from previous literature;
• Avoid the inclusion of features that are more speculative (unless the speculative nature can be made apparent visually);
• Not include data items of any type; all the content should be in a graphical form. the more visual, the better.

Keep It Simple

The graphical abstract should also:

• Use simple labels;
• Use text sparingly;
• Highlight one process or make one point clear;
• Be free of distracting and cluttering elements.

Sketch First

We encourage you to sketch your graphical abstract ideas by hand first, even before seating in front of your computer.

Most of us don’t have professional design skills, nor have access to professional design software. Luckily for you, there is no need. The video below shows an interesting tutorial on How to create a graphical abstract for Elsevier using the platform Mind the Graph .

For the sketch, first select just the necessary visual elements (a cell, protein, chemical compound, animal …) and the textual elements that will accompany them.

Always prefer illustrations and visual abstract icons to text. They communicate more directly.

For the sketch, first select just the necessary visual elements (a cell, protein, chemical compound, animal …) and the textual elements that will accompany them. Always prefer illustrations and visual abstract icons to text. They communicate more directly.

When you are organizing the elements of the sketch, consider that they have to be arranged in some sort of order. Organize your graphical abstract from left to right and/or from top to down. Another aspect you should consider is to avoid having too many visual elements scattered around the sketch. All elements should be somehow connected to each other, sorted into groups that have something in common. Avoid using boxes around elements that fit together, just put them close together. You may use boxes to highlight some texts.

Just now you should move to graphical design software. If you don’t have access to Photoshop or Illustrator , the good ol’ PowerPoint works just as well. You’ll likely use Google Images to find the illustrations you need. But the problem here is to find illustrations that all have the same style. Using different art styles may easily become weird

Instead of spending hours in Google, search in Mind the Graph gallery for keywords related to your work.

Journals Guidelines

Your target journal’s guidelines will give you information about the font type and size, line widths, colors, and dimensions of the graphical abstract. It will also mention whether you are to provide it as a PDF, TIFF, or PNG file format.

According to the Cell Press guidelines (shared earlier), here are the Technical requirements for a graphical abstract:

• Size: The submitted image should be 1200 pixels square at 300 dpi.
• Font: Arial, 12–16 points. Smaller fonts will not be legible online
• Preferred file types: TIFF, PDF, JPG
• Content: the abstract should consist of one single panel

A note about color: Effective use of color can enhance the graphical abstract both aesthetically and by directing the reader’s attention to focal points of interest. Authors are encouraged to select colors that are consistent with and complementary to the colors used on the Cell Press website. Heavily saturated, primary colors can be distracting.

To learn more about colors, check out the blog article “ Science Color Palette: Understand The Impact On Your Scientific Study “.

Make the dimensions of the artboard the exact size the journal requires. This will allow you to match all elements and font sizes with the required from the beginning. Now draw all the visual elements you have on your sketch. You can make your work easier by adding content from repositories that contain free science art figures.

About Mind the Graph

Mind the Graph is a solid repository of scientific illustrations and abstract inspiration for making a graphical abstract online. So if you’re wondering how to draw diagrams for scientific papers, try this tool for free and you will fall in love with it. It will for sure make your life way easier.

Also, don’t forget to consult the guide for authors of the journal where you are submitting your abstract science paper. For example, if you’re keen on Cell Press submission, make sure to go through their cover submission guidelines.

If you wish to learn how to write an effective abstract for a research paper, below we have summarized the abstract writing steps:

• Write the research paper first
• Identify the key sections of the paper (the problem, methodology, results/findings, conclusions)
• Draft a description of those key sections
• Put it all together (compile key sections, eliminate unnecessary content, fill out what’s missing, and review it after a day or two)

So, in a nutshell, this is how to write an abstract step by step.

How Can You Determine If Your Abstract Is Good?

How can you determine if your abstract is good? Well, there are certain characteristics of an abstract in a research paper, and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association describes a good abstract as:

• Accurate: It should correctly reflect the contents of the paper, and should not include any information that you don’t already have in your paper.
• Self-contained: The abstract should define all abbreviations and acronyms. For example, rather than writing OCD, you must write it in full as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
• Concise and to the point: Each sentence should be informative and descriptive but as succinct as possible. Make sure that each word you use is essential.
• Non-evaluative: An abstract is not a place to throw in your own creative insights. Do not comment on what you wrote about in your research paper.
• Coherent and easy to read: Clearly write the abstract, don’t try to impress the reader with complex phrases or technical jargon. Focus on readability and try to hook your audience with the abstract (something that graphical abstracts seriously help with!).

Make Scientifically Accurate Graphical Abstracts In Minutes

Check out how the Mind the Graph tool may assist you in combining colors to create an excellent Graphical Abstract that will add visual value to your science study.

• Cell Press digital image guidelines

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About Fabricio Pamplona

Fabricio Pamplona is the founder of Mind the Graph - a tool used by over 400K users in 60 countries. He has a Ph.D. and solid scientific background in Psychopharmacology and experience as a Guest Researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry (Germany) and Researcher in D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR, Brazil). Fabricio holds over 2500 citations in Google Scholar. He has 10 years of experience in small innovative businesses, with relevant experience in product design and innovation management. Connect with him on LinkedIn - Fabricio Pamplona .

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