Graphical abstracts

What is a graphical abstract?

A graphical abstract usually consists of an image that visually summarises the main findings of a scholarly paper. The summary should briefly, and on its own, convey the purpose and results of a study, preferably in a visually appealing way.

When producing a graphical abstract, it is quite common, but not mandatory, to reuse and adapt existing components, such as figures and diagrams. By repurposing graphical elements already present in the article and complementing them with a concise and compact version of the written abstract, you are well on your way.

Purpose of graphical abstracts

A graphical abstract is suitable for digital publication of scientific information and is often requested by publishers who want to offer the reader a quick and efficient summary of a specific article. A good graphical abstract encourages the reader to learn more.

Such a visual summary has a couple of disadvantages; firstly, they are not easily searchable in article databases and secondly, they may be limited in terms of accessibility for a reader with some form of visual impairment.

However, there are also advantages to graphical abstracts; an effective graphical abstract communicates relatively advanced findings in a simple way and to a wider audience. This often makes them suitable for dissemination on social media. Another advantage is that they are captured by the image search function of search engines.

While the effectiveness of graphical abstracts is, and has been, questioned, as in the article "Does a graphical abstract bring more visibility to your paper?" (2016), it is something that is increasingly requested in the digital environment. And as that environment matures, communication benefits and positive effects can also be seen, as highlighted in the article "Promoting your research using infographics and visual abstracts" (2020). The growing interest in visual content is not just limited to graphical abstracts; during the last decade, it has also become increasingly common for researchers and journals to use video abstracts to promote, summarise and make scholarly papers more accessible.

What is included in a graphical abstract?

A graphical abstract consists of a combination of text and images. Together they describe the central findings and take-home message of the article.

The image

The visual material you choose to include in your graphical abstract should be visually striking and appealing, in other words, it should catch the eye and be memorable, but above all it should tell and describe your key findings in a correct, clear and accessible way.

It may be tempting to use many images or strong colours, as if to shout out the message, but remember that basic graphic principles of visual communication also apply to graphical abstracts. It is important to prioritise and give preference to the most effective visual components, those that best summarise the message. Use graphic elements to guide the reader through your story, not overwhelm them.

If your graphical abstract contains several images and icons, be sure to use a consistent design. Small, but substantial and supporting graphic components such as arrows and labels, for example, should be designed in the same style in all images. Inconsistencies may confuse and distract the reader.

Let the image carry the message and minimise textual elements. For example, a thick arrow in a graph tends to be associated with "more" in relation to a thinner arrow in the same graph, whether it is weight, quantity, volume, energy, power, etc. By utilising graphic principles, the visual material can be designed so that any label describing the exact values of the arrows is redundant and can be removed. This is a kind of economical visual rhetoric that saves precious space in the limited image area, reduces information noise and increases accessibility.

Using an existing image from the article, with or without adaptation, is a common approach. It is, of course, possible to produce completely new visual material for a graphical abstract, but make sure to keep the same stylistic expression as in the existing images. A consistent visual language is always preferable.

The text

Although the image is the main component of a graphical abstract, a small piece of text may be needed to further clarify the message. Use your written abstract as a starting point, but use fewer words and make it more compact. Strive for a clear and accessible description of the study's purpose and results. Try to reinforce what the visual material describes, while avoiding unnecessary redundancy.

The text added to a graphical abstract automatically becomes part of the image, so be sure to use a clear font and a font size that can be displayed in relatively small formats or on small screens, such as a phone.

Good advice

Some good advice that will hopefully make your work easier:

• Plan for a graphical abstract early in the publication process, don't let it become an afterthought full of emergency solutions.
• Look at other graphical abstracts in the same journal. This can provide suggestions and ideas in terms of both layout and visual language.
• Restrain the use of colour and graphic elements, be careful about what is highlighted and prioritised. Think of it as working with a highlighter; pick out the important stuff.
• Try it on someone else! Let a fellow student, colleague, supervisor or someone else with sufficient domain knowledge read and interpret your abstract. Do you get your message across? Is the reading order, your icons, etc. being interpreted in the way you intended?
• And perhaps most importantly, read the journal's instructions on how to design a graphical abstract. Get it technically right from the start.

Resources

PowerPoint (Microsoft 365)

PowerPoint, which you have access to if you are a student or employee at Karolinska Institutet, corresponds in principle to what you need to produce an adequate visual abstract. PowerPoint has a built-in library of copyright-free minimalist icons in SVG (scalable vector graphic) format that you can modify.

If you need help getting started with the software, Microsoft provides several user guides for PowerPoint.

BioRender

BioRender is likely to be of particular interest to those producing presentation materials, such as graphical abstracts and illustrations, in medicine and biology. BioRender is an intuitive product that allows you to compose schematic illustrations using drag-and-drop. BioRender offers both a free plan and paid versions with more features. Read more about how to order BioRender if you work at KI. Remember to read the licence terms carefully, to ensure you know what actions are permissible and what restrictions apply (as with any content produced by a third party, in this case a commercial entity).

Mind the graph

Mind the graph is a product and service that offers many thousands of illustrations and icons and comes with a free licence, but with some restrictions. The same applies here as for other third-party operators: read carefully what you can and cannot do under the licence.

Bioicons

Bioicons is a library of icons and illustrations suitable for graphic abstracts. The images are free to use and the vast majority have a CC-BY licence or an MIT licence. If you use illustrations from Bioicons, be sure to follow the licence rules regarding use and proper attribution. Bioicons can also be used as an extension when working with tools such as Inkscape and Draw.io.

The noun project

The noun project offers a huge collection of both icons and photographic images. The material is free to use under a Creative Commons licence. Read carefully what you can and cannot do with the images.