Abstract

This study examines how scientists respond to visual design in scientific communications. Specifically, we determine the impact of visual design on the Graphical Abstract (GA), an overview figure that attracts potential readers and visually summarizes what a paper is about. We show that GAs designed in accordance with classic visual design principles significantly enhance readers’ first impressions of a paper. Well-designed GAs make papers seem more interesting, more clearly written and more scientifically rigorous. These results confirm that visual design enhances rather than detracts from the perception of intellectual and scientific competence.

Highlights

  • Given the rapid growth of scientific publication—estimated to double each decade—scientists and engineers increasingly need ways to quickly explain and draw attention to their work (Bornmann 2015)

  • We show that Graphical Abstract (GA) designed in accordance with classic visual design principles significantly enhance readers’ first impressions of a paper

  • Several scientific journals have published editorials emphasizing the importance of the Graphical Abstract (GA), an overview figure that attracts potential readers and visually explains what a paper is about

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Summary

Introduction

Given the rapid growth of scientific publication—estimated to double each decade—scientists and engineers increasingly need ways to quickly explain and draw attention to their work (Bornmann 2015) Towards this end, several scientific journals have published editorials emphasizing the importance of the Graphical Abstract (GA), an overview figure that attracts potential readers and visually explains what a paper is about. Editors encourage scientific authors to create GAs that are simple, easy to understand and visually attractive (Wong 2011; Buriak 2011; Kamat & Schatz 2013; Buriak 2014). Our research question was: Do well-designed GAs change readers’ understanding, interest and expectations of a scientific paper?

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