Resources for Creating and Posting Professional-Looking Graphs and Tables

Figure Creation and Formatting

Presenting data in an understandable format requires thought and attention to detail. Follow these guidelines when preparing graphs for lab reports and presentations.

Formatting Figures

• Use a white background for all graphs.
• Most data will have both x and y values and thus should be presented using an xy scatter plot.
• Label all axes and include units where appropriate.
• Axis scale labels should be in the margin of the graph and not inside the graph border.
• Eliminate parts of the range in both x and y axis that aren't used or that aren't meaningful.
• Place a caption with a brief description below the graph. Add this caption using the wiki formatting, not in your graphing software.
• Use data symbols to show data points unless there is so much data that the symbols overlap. If the data symbols overlap it is better to connect the data points with a line and not show the data symbols.
• When presenting multiple plots on a single graph make sure that it is easy to distinguish the plots using the legend.
• If curve fitting is used explain why and include the equation (elsewhere in the report).
• If a model or theoretical curve is presented it should be a smooth curve without data points.
• Use the same font in the graphs as you use in the text of the report.
• Insert the graph in your report after the first reference to it in the text. Inserted the graph after the next paragraph break
• Scale the size of the graph so it is large enough to see the data and read the text without having to follow a link to see a larger image. Avoid using hyperlinks on images because that causes the export to Microsoft Word option to not include the image.

How to Include Graphs from MathCAD

• Select the graph in MathCAD by dragging a box with your mouse over the
  graph. This prevents the graph from going into edit mode and losing
  the formatting!
• Copy the graph from MathCAD
• Paste it into PowerPoint
• Right click on the graph and select Save as picture.
• Select the png option for the file type and give the file a descriptive name
• Upload the file into the page that you want to post the graph on.

Captioning Figures, an example

An output control box designed and fabricated around the Basic Stamp® Microprocessors (Parallax 16 port BS2sx and 40 port BS2p BASIC Stamp® modules) is used for on/off control of up to six devices and for variable control of up to six peristaltic pumps.

The float macro keeps the graphic and the caption together and floats the figure on the page with text wrapping around it automatically. Because the top of the figure will align with the text that the float is above, I recommend insert the figure wrapped in the float macro immediately above the paragraph where the first reference to the figure occurs. This will place the figure along side the paragraph with the reference. Use anchors to refer to the figure just like you would use "Figure 11" refernces in a conventional manuscript. There is no way to implement auto numbering of the Figures so for now don't even bother to use numbers in the Figure. Instead, in the body of the report where you first reference the output control box add an anchor link that connects to the Figure. Use heading 5 for table and figure captions. This makes it possible to generate a list of tables and figures. Note that there is no numbered Figure reference in the caption. Also note that the image is a hyperlink to the full size original image. If the image is from a different source file the hyperlink should be to the original source file such as a MathCAD or Excel sheet.

In this example I set the size of the float and the size of the image to 200px. The viewer can see the full image by clicking on it.

Creating Graphs in the Wiki

Save the data as an excel spreadsheet containing only the data that you actually want to graph. For info on the parameters see the chart userguide.

Working With Tables, an example

Here is an example table. I refer to the table by creating an internal link (an anchor) that will take the viewer to the top of the table. For example here I am talking about the analog wiring standard that we use in the AguaClara laboratory. Note that I position the floating table above the paragraph where it is first referenced so that it appears along the side of that paragraph. I haven't figured out an automatic way to set the width of the table. Currently I am doing it by trial and error. If someone figures out a better way, please edit this!

Adding Equations

Change the preferences in MathType so that MathType includes the translated script in the clipboard. In Mathtype go to the Preferences menu and select Translators. Set the translator to TeX - Plain TeX. Once that change is made Mathtype will include the TeX script in the clipboard to make it easy to paste the equations into the WIKI.

Add equations by opening them in Mathtype from existing documents or by creating them in Mathtype. Copy the equation to the clipboard. Then in the WIKI editor select Wiki Markup. Paste the equation into the Wiki Markup editor. You will need to add the Wiki command latex inside curly brackets in a separate line before and after the TeX script. Having done that, switch to preview and you will be able to see you equation.