Optional Figures and Tables

Figures and tables are optional. Include a display only when it communicates verified evidence more clearly than prose and the target venue permits it. This skill does not generate images, schematics, graphical abstracts, or synthetic scientific visuals.

Provenance gate

Each display needs a record containing:

• stable display ID and version;
• source data or evidence IDs;
• code, query, or manual transformation used;
• accountable creator and reviewer;
• date generated or revised;
• analysis population, exclusions, and sample size;
• units, scales, denominators, and uncertainty definitions;
• license, attribution, and permission status for reused material;
• documented adjustments, cropping, compositing, or preprocessing.

Do not recreate missing source data from a screenshot or published graphic. Do not alter an image in a way that hides, removes, duplicates, or misrepresents information. Retain original files and an audit trail.

Choosing a form

Use:

• prose for a small number of directly relevant values;
• a table when exact values and multidimensional comparison matter;
• a figure when pattern, distribution, relationship, sequence, or spatial information matters.

Avoid duplicating the same information in prose, a table, and a figure. There is no universal minimum, maximum, or display-per-word rule.

Tables

Check:

• title and notes define population, time point, analysis set, units, and abbreviations;
• rows and columns preserve denominators and distinguish missing from zero;
• percentages can be recomputed from the recorded numerator and denominator;
• precision is consistent with the measurement and analysis;
• uncertainty and statistical quantities are named, not implied by symbols alone;
• values match the abstract, prose, figures, supplements, and consistency registry;
• cells remain accessible as text rather than an image when the venue allows.

Figures

Check:

• axes, scales, transformations, units, and reference lines are explicit;
• truncated or nonlinear scales are visible and justified;
• individual observations or distributions are shown when scientifically appropriate;
• uncertainty is defined;
• group sizes and exclusions are available;
• legends identify all encodings;
• colors, shapes, line styles, labels, or patterns provide redundant cues;
• image panels include scale and orientation information where relevant;
• the final exported file matches current journal format and size instructions.

Do not add significance stars or trend lines unless they map to a verified analysis.

Captions and alt text

A caption should state what is shown, define panels and encodings, identify the analysis population, units, uncertainty, and relevant methods, and link to evidence IDs during drafting.

Alt text should:

• identify the display type and purpose;
• summarize the principal visible pattern without adding a new conclusion;
• describe axes, groups, direction, and uncertainty needed to understand the display;
• avoid repeating the full caption or listing every data point;
• be reviewed manually with the final display.

Automated accessibility checks do not verify scientific correctness. Inspect contrast, color independence, reading order, label size, keyboard or screen-reader behavior where applicable, and legibility at final size.

Flow diagrams

Use the current official flow-diagram resource for the selected guideline, such as CONSORT 2025 or PRISMA 2020 [SW-S07, SW-S10]. Populate it only from verified counts. Reconcile every branch and denominator with the methods, results, and registry.

Final manual review

An accountable human should compare each display against source data and analysis output, inspect permissions and confidentiality, verify captions and alt text, and confirm the rendered export. Passing a file-format or consistency check does not certify the display.