Research Graphic
In an increasingly visual and fast-moving world, research merits more than text alone. Our Research Graphic page offers a dedicated platform for transforming key findings from scholarly articles into high-quality, publication-ready visual assets, designed for clarity, shareability and global reach.
Why Research Graphics Matter
- Translate Complexity into Clarity: Research often conveys deep technical, scientific or social-science findings. A well-crafted graphic helps distill these into an accessible visual story.
- Amplify Reach & Engagement: Visuals are more likely to be shared, discussed, and noticed across global audiences, including practitioners, media, policy-makers, and interdisciplinary peers.
- Support our Global Mission: With authors, reviewers and readers spanning 130+ countries, our commitment at Global Journals® is to communicate research in forms that transcend language and disciplinary barriers.
- Strengthen Brand & Professionalism: Offering consistent, high-quality visuals reinforces our reputation for academic excellence and editorial integrity.
What You’ll Find Here
- Featured Research Graphics Gallery - A curated selection of standout graphics tied to recently published articles, showing how visual design can bring research to life.
- Graphic Specifications & Guidelines - A downloadable document outlining technical standards (size, format, resolution, colour palette, branding), accessibility (alt text, readability), and use-cases (web, print, social).
- Author & Editor How-to Guide - Step-by-step instructions for authors to propose a research graphic: defining the key message, selecting visuals, layout planning, attribution and distribution.
- Submission Portal - Information on how authors may submit draft graphics or request design support from our communications team, including timeline and workflow.
Designing an Effective Research Graphic
- Best practices for creating visuals that communicate impact clearly:
- Start with the core message - Ask: What is the one thing you want a reader/viewer to remember? The graphic should centre on that take-home message.
- Keep visuals meaningful - Use icons, diagrams, charts, photos or illustrations that directly reference the research context and findings.
- Minimal text, maximum readability - The graphic is not a full poster or manuscript; it should be approachable at a glance.
- Use consistent branding and format - Align with Global Journals® colour palette, fonts, logo placement to maintain coherence across our platform.
- Ensure accessibility & re-use-friendly formats - Provide alt-text for accessibility, and deliver formats suited for web (jpg/png/svg) and print (pdf, high-res).
- Plan for distribution - Consider how the graphic will appear in multiple contexts: on article page, social media thumbnail, institutional newsletter, presentation slide.
Why Global Journals® Supports Research Graphics
- Emphasising excellence: Our affiliation with Open Association of Research Societies (OARS) (US) and adherence to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines signifies a commitment to integrity, and part of that integrity is communicating research outcomes clearly and responsibly.
- Bridging disciplines & geographies: A graphic built for visual clarity helps a clinician in Asia, an engineer in Africa, a social-scientist in Latin America, or a policymaker in Europe all access the research message quickly.
- Enhancing discoverability: Graphics improve visibility in online environments, support metadata, improve alt-text and exposure in social and academic networks.
How to Submit a Video Highlight
- 1. After your article is accepted, review the “Research Graphic Author Guide”.
- Provide your own design (following our specifications) or
- Methodology in plain language
- 2. Develop a draft concept including:
- Title of article
- One-sentence summary of key finding
- Suggested visual elements (icons, images, colours)
- Intended formats (web, social, print)
- 3. Submit your draft along with the article reference, high-res figures/images and any rights/licensing information.
- 4. The communications/design team will review for branding, clarity and accessibility, suggest revisions if necessary, then produce the final file(s).
- 5. Once finalised, the graphic will be embedded on the article page, featured in our gallery, and you may download the files for reuse (with attribution to Global Journals® and your article) in institutional or outreach materials.
Make Your Research Visually Memorable
Your research is not just for specialist readers, it is for the world. A strong Research Graphic helps ensure that your findings are seen, understood, and shared far beyond the academic journal. Let’s create visuals that honour the rigour of your work and expand its impact.
FAQs: Impact Summary
What is a “Research Graphic”?
A Research Graphic is a high-quality visual summary or infographic that complements a published article by illustrating its key findings, methodology, or implications in an accessible and engaging format. It is designed to enhance visibility, comprehension and dissemination of the research beyond the traditional text.
Why does Global Journals® offer Research Graphics?
Because research often contains complex findings that may be difficult for non-specialist audiences to absorb in text form alone. By providing a Research Graphic, we:
- Facilitate wider reach and engagement (including practitioners, media, policy makers).
- Help readers from different disciplines or regions grasp the key message quickly.
- Strengthen the visual identity and shareability of the paper and our journals.
- Align with best practices in research communication: for example journals recognise visual abstracts/graphics improve article visibility.
Who is responsible for creating the Research Graphic?
Typically either:
- The author, who may propose or submit the graphic (following our guidelines)
- Or, the author may request the journal’s communications/design team to create it (based on the author’s concept)
In either case, the graphic is reviewed for clarity, accuracy, branding, accessibility and technical quality before finalisation.
When in the publication workflow should a Research Graphic be prepared?
We recommend preparing or commissioning the Research Graphic after the article is accepted (so the findings are finalised) but before final publication, so the graphic can be embedded on the article page, promoted alongside the article, and integrated into our communication channels.
What makes an effective Research Graphic?
Key features include:
A clear central message (“What is the take-away?”) that the viewer can assimilate at a glance.
Meaningful visuals (icons, diagrams, images) that support the message without clutter or distraction.- Minimal and legible text; logical flow left-to-right or top-to-bottom
Consistent branding (colours, fonts, logo placement) in line with Global Journals® standards.
Formats suitable for reuse (web, print, social media) and accessibility (alt-text, readable fonts, colour contrast).
Proper rights/permissions for any imagery used.
Are there technical or style guidelines for submission?
Yes, we provide authors with a “Research Graphic Guideline” document specifying:
Recommended resolutions and file formats (e.g., high-res PDF for print, JPG/PNG/SVG for web)
Ratio and layout suggestions (e.g., square for social, wide for article page).
Branding details (logo placement, colour palette, fonts).
Accessibility requirements (alt text, readable font size, colour contrast).
These guidelines are in line with industry practices for visual/graphical abstracts. accuracy, branding, accessibility and technical quality before finalisation.
Can the Research Graphic replace the article or the abstract?
No. A Research Graphic is a supplement, not a substitute. It highlights key points visually, but it does not contain the full methodology, data, limitations or detailed discussion that the article provides. For clarity: visual abstracts serve to draw interest and summarise - they do not replace the full article.
Can I reuse the Research Graphic elsewhere (e.g., my institutional website, presentation slides, social media)?
Yes, once the graphic is finalised and published, authors are encouraged to embed or share it via institutional webpages, social media, presentations and outreach materials. Please retain appropriate attribution (article citation + Global Journals® branding or logo) when doing so.
What if my article’s findings are highly technical or data-heavy, is a graphic still useful?
Absolutely. Even highly technical work can benefit from a distilled visual summary. The intent isn’t to depict every detail but to communicate the essence of what was done and what was found, in a visually comprehensible way. Our design team can assist authors in simplifying without compromising accuracy.
Is there an additional cost for a Research Graphic?
In most cases no - the Research Graphic service is included as part of the visualization support offered by Global Journals®. If there are special, bespoke design requirements beyond our standard template or workflow, we will discuss the specifics separately.
What happens if the submitted graphic doesn’t meet the guidelines or needs revisions?
If a submitted graphic does not meet our technical, accessibility or branding requirements, the design/communications team will request revisions. We’ll work with the author to adjust layout, font size, resolution, alt text, image rights etc. before final deployment.
Can the Research Graphic be updated post-publication?
Yes, if significant new results, follow-up research or outreach outcomes emerge, an updated graphic may be proposed. However, updates are at the discretion of the editorial/communications team in consultation with the author, and should be justified and aligned with our publication standards.
