Use a figure or a table when it shows something the text cannot say economically. Do not duplicate in a figure what a table already gives, or in the text what either already shows. Everything on this page applies at submission, not at acceptance: figures that cannot be reproduced legibly are sent back, and that delays review.
Tables
- Place tables in the manuscript file, in order, at the point of first mention or after the reference list — either is acceptable, but be consistent.
- Build them with your word processor's table function, as editable text. A table pasted as an image cannot be typeset, cannot be read by assistive technology, and will be returned.
- Number tables consecutively in Arabic numerals in order of first mention (Table 1, Table 2). Tables in appendices are numbered Table A1, Table B1.
- Give every table a caption above it: the number, then a brief title that says what the table contains, including the unit and the sample where relevant.
- Put explanatory material in a note below the table, not in the caption. Define every abbreviation used in the table, even if it is defined in the text. Mark significance with superscript letters or symbols explained in the note.
- Keep the design plain: no vertical rules, no shading used decoratively, no merged cells that hide the structure of the data.
- Every table must be cited in the text (for example, "as Table 2 shows"), and the text must say what matters about it rather than restating it.
Figures
- Upload each figure as a separate file in the submission form, named by number (figure-1.tif, figure-2.eps). Keep a copy embedded in the manuscript file as well, so that reviewers read the argument and the figure together.
- Accepted formats: TIFF, PNG, or EPS; PDF is accepted for vector figures. Do not submit figures as DOCX or PPTX files, and do not submit screenshots of charts.
- Resolution at the intended print size: at least 300 dpi for photographs and other halftones, at least 600 dpi for combinations of image and text, and at least 1200 dpi for line art. Vector figures (EPS, PDF) are preferred for charts, graphs, and diagrams because they stay sharp at any size.
- Size figures for a single column (about 85 mm) or the full page width (about 175 mm) and check that the smallest lettering is still legible at that size. Use one sans-serif typeface throughout a figure, at no less than 8 point after reduction.
- Number figures consecutively in order of first mention. Give each a caption below the figure, in the manuscript file: the number, a title, then whatever a reader needs in order to interpret it without returning to the text — units, sample size, error bars, the meaning of each symbol.
- Multi-part figures are labeled (a), (b), (c) in the image itself and explained part by part in the caption.
- Remove titles that repeat the caption, chart junk, unnecessary gridlines, and three-dimensional effects on two-dimensional data.
- Photographs of identifiable people require written consent from the person shown, and cropping or pixelation is not a substitute for it. Say in the Declarations that consent was obtained.
Accessibility
Peer Academics publishes online and expects figures to be usable by readers with low vision, color vision deficiency, or a screen reader.
- Supply alternative text for every figure: one or two sentences describing what the figure shows and what it demonstrates. Write it for someone who cannot see the image; do not repeat the caption word for word. Put the alt text in the manuscript file directly under the caption, labeled "Alt text:".
- Do not encode meaning in color alone. Distinguish series by shape, line style, hatching, or direct labeling as well as by hue, so that the figure survives being printed in grayscale.
- Keep contrast high between elements and background, and avoid red-green pairings and rainbow scales. Use a color scheme that remains distinguishable to readers with color vision deficiency.
- Label axes with the quantity and the unit, and label series on the plot rather than relying on a legend where space allows.
Material reproduced from another source
If a figure, table, image, or map is taken or adapted from another work — including your own earlier publication and including material found online — you must obtain written permission from the rights holder before you submit, and that permission must cover open-access online publication with worldwide distribution. The journal does not clear permissions for you and does not publish material for which permission has not been obtained.
- Credit the source at the end of the caption. The names in the two examples that follow are invented and show the form only: "Reproduced from Weber (2019, p. 214) with permission of the rights holder" or, for openly licensed material, "From Marin (2023), licensed under CC BY 4.0." A credit of that kind states the licence on the material you reused; it says nothing about the terms on which Peer Academics will publish your own article, which are set out in Copyright and Licensing.
- Adapted material is credited as "Adapted from…" and the adaptation described.
- Material in the public domain, or material you created yourself, needs no permission, but say which it is if a reader might assume otherwise.
- Keep the permission correspondence. The editorial office may ask to see it, and it is required before an accepted manuscript is typeset.
Questions about a specific figure, format, or permission go to [email protected]; problems with uploading files go to [email protected].