Unlike other forms of writing, academic or scientific writing follows specific rules regarding writing style, grammar, and structure. Therefore, it is necessary to familiarize the academic community with academic writing.
The UGM Graduate School recently organized a Scientific Writing Workshop on November 14-15, 2023. Participants from various backgrounds attended the training, especially the UGM academic community.
Dr. Widyanto Dwi Nugroho, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Cooperation at the UGM Graduate School, provided an introduction to visualizing images and graphics in scientific writing.
“The concept is simple. It’s about how our thoughts, which are already validated, are fundamental. The ontology is clear, the epistemology is coherent, and the axiology is also clear,” said Dr. Nugroho.
“But if we can’t package it well, it could be rejected as soon as it reaches the editor’s desk. Visualization plays a big role; besides explaining, it can also convince the reviewer that the author truly understands their research.”
Several things need to be considered to include visualizations in scientific journals. First, each journal has different writing guidelines, so the author must know what type of journal they are writing for.
Second, visualizations must be related to the manuscript and strengthen the arguments. Third, visuals simplify the text, so they must be presented clearly, attractively, and simply.
Fourth, visuals should also be accompanied by concise and easily understandable captions. Finally, the visuals’ size, number, and sequence should be carefully considered.
Dr. Nugroho emphasized that these five aspects are crucial to presenting an attractive, argumentative, and easily understandable manuscript, making it easier to pass the publication selection.
“Pamper the reader’s eyes. So, provide visuals that are pleasant to look at and easy to understand. For example, in writing tables, we only use horizontal lines, not vertical lines,” he added.
“The table description must also be written clearly, not just named. Font size and font type also need to be considered regarding where the table will be placed.”
Visualization of graphics in scientific writing is still not widely considered because writers generally focus on substance. However, the visual aspect will significantly influence the first impression the reader—especially the reviewer—gets before further understanding the text.
The workshop, which involved dozens of lecturers, took place over two days and covered various topics. Participants were given explanations, starting from an introduction, idea formation, and substance. At the end, there was a collection of participants’ works.
This training is expected to encourage the emergence of new licensed and published scientific works. Innovation and creativity packaged in research will be one way to address various contemporary and future challenges.
Author: Tasya