{"id":118,"date":"2022-07-13T16:54:36","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T20:54:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/communicating\/chapter\/graphics-tables-and-images\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T19:14:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T00:14:01","slug":"chapter-32","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/communicating\/chapter\/chapter-32\/","title":{"raw":"Graphics, Tables, and Images","rendered":"Graphics, Tables, and Images"},"content":{"raw":"Incorporating graphics into reports is an important skill in developing quality professional documents. The more formal the report you are writing, the more likely the need for non-text material, such as tables, graphs, charts, maps, drawings, and photographs.\r\n

\"\"<\/p>\r\nThese visual elements can take many different forms, but they all have the same basic purpose: to help clarify information presented in the report. They also help break up a text-heavy report, making it more visually appealing.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe key concept to remember here is that visuals clarify<\/em>,\u00a0illustrate,<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0augment<\/em> your written text. They are not<\/em> a replacement for written text. Similar to when you present facts from an outside source to the reader in your\u00a0writing, you are responsible for interpreting your graphics for your reader. Any time you include a chart, graph, or table, you should tell your reader what key point(s) they should understand from it.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe old adage, \u201ca picture is worth a thousand words\u201d does not hold true in professional writing, but adding visuals may save you a hundred words of additional explanation and clarification. If you have visual elements in your document, they must be based on and supplement your written content. Throwing in \u201cgratuitous graphics\u201d just to decorate or take up space can confuse your reader (and the reader knows what you're doing<\/em>).\r\n\r\nChoose the right kind of visual to convey the story you want your reader to understand. If visuals are poorly chosen or poorly designed for the task, they can actually confuse the reader and have negative consequences. For example, the first point you noticed when you opened this page was the image above. Did you wonder why it is there? Has it distracted you? Our eyes are naturally drawn to visuals that stand out, so make sure the ones you pick for your reports are essential to your purpose.\r\n\r\n

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Deciding which graphics to include<\/h2>\r\nAs you review your research and consider possible visuals to include in your [pb_glossary id=\"260\"]report[\/pb_glossary], the first step is to think about which graphics are most appropriate given the data you wish to convey.\r\n\r\nTable #4 below provides some general guidelines on the kinds of graphics most suitable for different types of information:\r\n

Table #4: General guidelines for graphics<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Information to Convey<\/strong><\/td>\r\nVisual Type<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Numbers, percentages, categories<\/td>\r\nTables, charts<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Processes<\/td>\r\nFlow charts<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Geographic data<\/td>\r\nMaps<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Chronological or prioritized lists<\/td>\r\nNumbered lists<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Non-ordered lists<\/td>\r\nBulleted lists<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nFor more specific reasoning for using individual types of graphics, see table #5 below:\r\n

Table #5: Common types of illustrative graphics<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Type of Visual<\/strong><\/td>\r\nDescription and Purpose<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Tables<\/strong><\/td>\r\nPlaces detailed data\/information in categories formatted into rows and columns for comparison; use when exact figures are important. Label column headings and\/or rows.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Graphs<\/strong><\/td>\r\nBar graph<\/strong><\/td>\r\nCompares and contrast two or more subjects at the same point in time or compare change over time.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Column graph<\/strong><\/td>\r\nReveals change in a subject at different points in time.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Line graph<\/strong><\/td>\r\nShows the degree and direction of change relative to two variables, compare items over time, show frequency or distribution, or show correlations.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Charts<\/strong><\/td>\r\nPie chart<\/strong><\/td>\r\nDisplays the number and relative size of the divisions of a subject; show relation of parts to a whole (parts must add up to 100% to make sense).<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Org. chart<\/strong><\/td>\r\nMaps the divisions and levels of responsibility or hierarchy within an organization.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Flow chart<\/strong><\/td>\r\nShows the sequence, steps, and\/or options in a process or procedure.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Gantt chart<\/strong><\/td>\r\nIndicates timelines for multi-stepped projects, especially used in proposals and progress reports.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Illustrations<\/strong><\/td>\r\nDiagram<\/strong><\/td>\r\nIdentifies the parts of a subject and their spatial flow or functional relationship; emphasizes detail or shows dimensions.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Photo<\/strong><\/td>\r\nShows what a subject looks like in realistic detail or shows it being used.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Animation<\/strong><\/td>\r\nSimulates a process, operation, or incident.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Film clip<\/strong><\/td>\r\nDepicts a process, operation, or incident in realistic detail.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n \r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"30\"]\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n
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Formatting graphics<\/h2>\r\nOnce you have selected the correct graphic for your report, you will need to create it. Unfortunately, there is no universal way to format graphics. However, your employer may have an in-house style guide that you are expected to use.\r\n\r\nUse the rules outlined in APA Style (7th Edition)<\/a> for citing your tables and figures.\r\n\r\nThe key takeaway here is to always aim for consistency<\/strong>\u2014especially if you are ever in a situation where you do not have a style guide. This means that elements such as titles, numbers, and headings should be formatted the same across the entire document. Small inconsistencies may not seem like a big deal, but they can suggest to a supervisor or client that you are not thorough or paying attention to details.\r\n\r\n
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Placement and context<\/h2>\r\nAs you develop visuals for your report, you will want to also consider two points:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Where the visuals should be placed<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. What information you need to provide in your report to adequately prepare your readers for the message within that graphic<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nWhile there are different requirements depending on the visual you choose, there are five main rules you should follow to integrate your graphics.\r\n
    \r\n

    Five Rules For Integrating Graphics into your Document<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

      \r\n \t
    1. Give each visual a numbered caption that includes a clear descriptive title.<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. Refer to the caption number within the body text and discuss its content.<\/li>\r\n \t
    3. Label all units (x and y axes, legends, column box heads, parts of diagrams).<\/li>\r\n \t
    4. Provide the source of the data and\/or visual image if you did not create it yourself.<\/li>\r\n \t
    5. Avoid distorting the data or image.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nIn addition, visual elements should also be surrounded with sufficient passive space to emphasize the image and enhance its readability. If copying and pasting an image, make sure all elements are clear and the print size is readable. A visual that has been shrunk down to an unreadable size does not help the reader understand your ideas.\r\n
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      Exercise #1: Examine and Compare the Figures<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

      \r\n\r\nExamine Figure #1.1 below. Do you understand what the information conveys? What is missing? Use the five rules above to determine where this figure goes wrong.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_649\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1430\"]\"A Figure #1.1[\/caption]\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIf you look carefully, you might be able to guess what story the graph above is telling. However, the lack of a descriptive caption and labeling of axes makes it impossible to know for sure.\r\n\r\nCompare that figure to Figure #1.2 below using the same five rules.\r\n\r\n\"A\r\n\r\nFigure #1.2 Water Consumption in Edmonton during the 2010 Gold Medal Hockey Game (Flowingdata).\r\n\r\nFigure #1.2 has a numbered caption, a descriptive title, and it has properly labelled x and y axes and legends. It also cites the source the graph was retrieved from in the caption using an in-text citation. The original image has not been distorted in any way. Thus, it follows the five key rules listed above.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
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      Using graphics ethically<\/h2>\r\nAs with everything discussed, the graphics you use can have an impact on your overall presentation. If the graphics are misleading in any way, and your audience realizes this, it can negatively impact how [pb_glossary id=\"150\"]credible[\/pb_glossary] or trustworthy they consider you.\r\n
      \r\n

      Exercise #2: The Ethics of Graphics<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

      \r\n\r\nWatch the video below on misleading graphics. After watching, answer the following questions:\r\n