Figures, graphics & visualising data
An introduction to creating graphics for research publications
Creating effective research figures is one of the most challenging and least taught skills in research. Every dataset tells a story, but communicating that story in a clear graphic format demands more than technical ability. It requires understanding how people interpret visuals, how design influences reasoning and how to turn data into insight.
This on-demand course guides you through the complete process of designing research graphics, from defining your data, to selecting the right visual form, refining layout and annotation, and preparing publication ready figures. The course provides access to Electv Training's comprehensive Ink & insight directory of over 50 graph types and their uses, you’ll learn how to link data types and analytical goals to appropriate visual formats, and how to use spatial design, hierarchy and annotation to make your message unmistakable.
You’ll explore what makes a figure credible, ethical and reproducible and how to choose software that suits your data, skills and publication context.
Who is this course for:
PhD students, postdocs and academic researchers who produce figures, diagrams or data visualisations for papers, theses, reports or presentations.
Time commitment: Approximately 4 - 5 hours of self-paced study, including examples, activities and reference materials.
Learning outcomes
After completing this course participants will be able to:
- Match data types and research goals to effective graphic forms
- Design clear, structured layouts that reflect analytical logic
- Annotate figures so they communicate insight, not just information
- Apply design and accessibility principles for publication
- Manage copyright, licensing and reuse responsibly
- Choose software tools for efficient, reproducible workflows
About Electv
