Introduction
Academic journal writing is not just about textual clarity—it’s also about how you organise your data and arguments visually. Diagrams and tables, when included thoughtfully, can make your paper clearer, more persuasive, and easier to follow. However, many Indian scholars misuse or overuse them, leading to confusion during peer review. This blog offers clear guidance for Indian PhD students and early-career researchers on how to include diagrams and tables properly, with a focus on academic expectations—especially in Indian journals.
When and Why to Use Diagrams and Tables
Use diagrams and tables only when they serve a clear purpose in your argument. These visual tools are meant to:
- Present numerical or categorical data in an organised way
- Reduce the length of your explanations
- Clarify complex relationships or comparisons
- Support the interpretation of results
However, including a visual without a reason can weaken your argument. Avoid using visuals just to “decorate” your paper. Indian reviewers often look for relevance and integration—not just presence.
Choosing Between a Diagram and a Table
Tables are best for presenting precise values, like survey data, experimental results, or statistical summaries. Diagrams, on the other hand, are more useful for showing conceptualrelationships, flows, models, or trends over time.
For example:
- Use a table for listing variables across samples.
- Use a diagram for representing a theoretical framework or workflow.
Make your choice based on function, not format.
How to Introduce and Refer to Visuals in Your Text
Never insert a visual without referring to it in the main text. Academic readers expect you to guide them to the visual, explain its relevance, and interpret it. For example:
“The collected data from all five districts are presented below to show variation across demographic groups.”
“The following diagram outlines the four-phase process followed during implementation.”
This helps the reader understand what they’re about to see—and why it matters.
Titling and Labelling Clearly
Each visual should be numbered andtitled meaningfully. Instead of vague headings like “Table 1,” use:
“Table 1: Distribution of Responses by Age Group”
Ensure your rows, columns, and axes (if any) are clearly labelled. Avoid using abbreviations in visuals unless they’ve been explained previously in the text.
Titles should be above the table or diagram, and explanatory notes (if needed) should be placed below. Always follow the target journal’s preference for layout—but clarity should always be your priority.
Formatting Tips for Indian Journals
Most national and international journals have formatting expectations, which usually include:
- Line spacing around visual elements
- Font size and alignment
- Image resolution for any included visuals
- Whether to place visuals within the text or at the end
In Indian academic journals—especially those in UGC CARE or Scopus—visual clarity is reviewed strictly. If your diagram or table is hard to read or clumsily placed, your manuscript might be returned without review.
How Many Visuals Are Too Many?
Use visual elements only when necessary. Having too many tables or diagrams can clutter your paper and suggest that you’re relying too heavily on visuals to do the work of writing. A balanced paper might have 2–4 visuals for every 5000 words—though this varies by discipline.
The best strategy is to visualise only what would be hard to follow in plain text. If a comparison or data set can be explained clearly in one or two sentences, a visual is likely unnecessary.
Ethical and Academic Considerations
Do not copy visuals from other sources—even open-access ones—without permission and proper citation. If you’re adapting a model or dataset from another scholar, clearly mention it:
“Adapted from Verma (2018).”
Also, never manipulate visual data to exaggerate a result. Ethical presentation of data includes:
- Transparent scales
- Full dataset representation
- Accurate legends
Many Indian universities now check for research integrity in visuals during internal review. Avoid shortcuts.
Diagrams and Tables in Qualitative Research
There is a misconception that only quantitative research needs visuals. In fact, qualitative work can also benefit from tables (e.g., thematic summaries, coding schemes) and diagrams (e.g., conceptual frameworks, stakeholder maps).
Ensure that even in such cases:
- The visual supports—not replaces—the explanation
- Each element of the visual is discussed in the text
- You respect any copyright or authorship issues
Conclusion
The thoughtful inclusion of diagrams and tables can enhance both the clarity and credibility of your journal paper. But careless placement or overuse can do more harm than good. Indian PhD scholars must treat visuals as integral to the scholarly argument, not separate from it. Follow academic conventions, format carefully, introduce each visual meaningfully, and never forget that clarity—both visual and verbal—is what makes a paper successful.