What makes a good scientific plot? It should make a case (often some sort of comparison) in an argument we're presenting. Its arrangement should match the argument it's meant to make. And its elements should be deisgned so that the argument can be read quickly by the audience's eyes, not slowly by their brains.

This is delivered as Research Skills Programme optional unit OU58. Last delivered on 6 May 2026.

• Slides
• Watch video (internal access only)
• Recommended reading:
  • Good Charts by Scott Berinato  —  explains the role of plots in argument
  • The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward Tufte  —  explains style and visual processing of a plot
  • The Grammar of Graphics by Leland Wilkinson  —  gives us the language to reason formally about plots