Creating Figures Figure 9. Daily patterns of full stomachs (%) of herring and sprat sampled during the 1997 survey. Standard errors (bars) were not available for sprat. From Cardinale et al. (2003) 1/10

When to use figures vs. tables? General rules of thumb: < 4 numbers, state them in the text Tables are used to report data, figures are used to look at relationships and patterns

When to use figures vs. tables? Figures - present complex data patterns, when visual is more intuitive than numbers, many data points Easy to describe in text; figure not necessary More difficult to describe in text; figure is instructive South North Cod growth rate (mm/yr) South North Cod growth rate (mm/yr) 10˚ C 4˚ C Tables – convey essential info that does not fit into text easily (e.g., lat/lon of multiple sites, model parameters), data of interest to others (e.g., model coefficients) 3/10

When to use figures vs. tables? Numbering – tables and figures each numbered in order of citation in text (each start at Table 1 and Figure 1) 4/10

The purpose of figures To present your data in an informative summary To visualize your data – look for relationships, trends, outliers To maximize information transfer and minimize ‘clutter’

Minimize wasted space (e.g., origin does not need to be zero) All elements on graph should convey information (e.g., avoid grid lines)

Creating figures (bad vs good) Fish Growth Outside frame, border around graph No legend for data points, red-green color blindness Gridlines present, axes lines are grey Fonts are too small, inappropriate decimal places No units on axes labels Figure title Take-home lesson – Excel does not provide a good graph format, you have to do it yourself MUCH BETTER! 7/10

Effective captions are important for figures and tables Provide context Allow figure/table to stand on its own Complete sentences NO titles on figures! Figure - weight of fish of different ages Figure 1. Mass-at-age of walleye captured between 2002 and 2003 from lakes with stunted- and trophy-sized individuals. Why aren’t the dots connected with a line? 8/10

Example of a very cluttered figure Note that 3-dimensional bars are misleading, data appear as volume, not height

Basic Rules Independent variable (the one you control) is the x-axis; dependent (or response) variable is the y-axis The type of data determines the type of graph, e.g.: Time-series – usually a line graph Two independent variables – x-y (scatterplot) Percentages – pie-chart

Line or bar graph?

Bar graphs can be used to show proportions of a whole Teixeira and Cortes 2006

Pie charts show proportions and can make data easier to visualize Madenjian et al. 2009

Two independent variables – x-y plot

Comparison of treatments (dependent vs. independent variables)

Addition of years next to each data point aided in data interpretation (years that did not fit the curve were El Nino events that changed the stock-recruit dynamic of the pollock) Bering Sea pollock B. A. Megrey and V. G. Wespestad

Creating Tables Table 1. The size range and sample size of each fish species (with prey in stomachs) used in the 2005 (lakewide) and 2006 (western Lake Superior; WLS) selectivity analysis. “na” = not available. From Isaac et al. (2012) 17/10

Creating Tables These data do not justify a table. Table 1. The size range and sample size of smelt with prey in stomachs used in the 2005 (lakewide) and 2006 (western Lake Superior; WLS) selectivity analysis. From Isaac et al. (2012) These data do not justify a table. 18/10

Creating tables Mean length mass # fish Species/life-stage Yellow perch Smallmouth bass Northern pike Bluegill Juveniles Adults 142 14 29 203 37 157 19 31 423 339 18 278 21 613 638 8

Creating tables Bounded by thicker borders on top and bottom Mean length (mm) mass (g) n Species/life-stage Yellow perch Smallmouth bass Northern pike Bluegill Juveniles Adults 142 (± 42.3) 14 (± 2.7) 29 203 (± 52.9) 29 (± 3.6) 37 157 (± 22.7) 19 (± 1.2) 31 423 (± 62.1) 339 (± 32.5) 18 278 (± 48.2) 21 (± 3.3) 14 613 (± 77.3) 638 (± 62.7) 8 Thinner border to set column headers apart from data 20/10

Creating tables Clearly labeled column headers, with units, “n” is universal for “sample size” Bounded by thicker borders on top and bottom Mean length (mm) mass (g) n Species/life-stage Yellow perch Smallmouth bass Northern pike Bluegill Juveniles Adults 142 (± 42.3) 14 (± 2.7) 29 203 (± 52.9) 29 (± 3.6) 37 157 (± 22.7) 19 (± 1.2) 31 423 (± 62.1) 339 (± 32.5) 18 278 (± 48.2) 21 (± 3.3) 14 613 (± 77.3) 638 (± 62.7) 8 Thinner border to set column headers apart from data No borders separating columns or rows of data Measure of variance, when appropriate 21/10

Creating tables All numbers are right-aligned in columns Mean length (mm) mass (g) n Species/life-stage Yellow perch Smallmouth bass Northern pike Bluegill Juveniles Adults 142 (± 42.3) 14 (± 2.7) 29 203 (± 52.9) 29 (± 3.6) 37 157 (± 22.7) 19 (± 1.2) 31 423 (± 62.1) 339 (± 32.5) 18 278 (± 48.2) 21 (± 3.3) 14 613 (± 77.3) 638 (± 62.7) 8 22/10

Creating tables Table 1. Mean lengths and mass of four fish species sampled in Lost Lake in 2015. Standard deviations are shown in parentheses. Caption that identifies the types of data in the table, with time and place where they were collected. Mean length (mm) mass (g) n Species/life-stage Yellow perch Smallmouth bass Northern pike Bluegill Juveniles Adults 142 (± 42.3) 14 (± 2.7) 29 203 (± 52.9) 29 (± 3.6) 37 157 (± 22.7) 19 (± 1.2) 31 423 (± 62.1) 339 (± 32.5) 18 278 (± 48.2) 21 (± 3.3) 14 613 (± 77.3) 638 (± 62.7) 8

Use of multiple underlines to link and clarify headings Table 1. The size range and sample size of each fish species (with prey in stomachs) used in the 2005 (lakewide) and 2006 (western Lake Superior; WLS) selectivity analysis. “na” = not available. From Isaac et al. (2012)