Organization and Visuals in Education

Overview

Different disciplines will have different standards for how papers should look. When considering the look and feel of your writing, you need to think about if you'll include subheadings to organize your ideas; if you'll incorporate pictures/images; or if you'll use tables, charts, or graphs to present statistical data. These considerations are an inevitable part of graduate-level writing. Learn more on this page about how to organize your papers and incorporate visuals when writing in Education.

Visuals

There are two categories of visual elements commonly used in Education journals: tables and figures.

Tables are used to present data or information in list formats; in quantitative articles, they are frequently included to present the results of statistical analysis. Figures include diagrams, drawings, photos, graphs, and the like.

A useful rule of thumb when considering whether to use visuals is to ask yourself this question: what is the purpose of the visual? If your response goes beyond aesthetics, it may be worth including. For example, if including a figure will clarify or supplement the text rather than merely decorating it, or if a table will aid a reader in following along with a written description of data analysis or provide a compact and efficient snapshot of statistical results, consider including it.

Check the relevant style guide (e.g., APA or Chicago) for information on formatting and placing these visuals within the document.