Graphical abstracts
Beginning with the 1/2023 issue, the journal Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine requires visual abstracts (also known as graphical abstracts) for papers accepted for publication.
Such an abstract is a single, concise, pictorial and visual summary of the main findings of the article. It should be a figure that is specially designed for the purpose, which captures the content of the article for readers at a single glance. Authors must provide an original image that clearly represents the work described in the paper. Graphical abstracts should be submitted as a separate file in the submission system as Figure 0. Please prepare a separate graphical abstract – one of the figures from the paper cannot at the same time serve as a graphical abstract.
For ease of browsing, the graphical abstract should have a clear start and end, preferably "reading" from top to bottom or left to right. Try to reduce distracting and cluttering elements as much as possible. No additional text, outline or synopsis should be included. Any text or label must be part of the image file. Please do not use unnecessary white space or a heading “graphical abstract” within the image file. The text within the graphical abstract should be used sparingly. The graphical abstract for a paper should not include data items of any type; all the content should be in a graphical form.
Allowed data formats: PDF, JPG and TIF (min. 2400 pixels of the base in the drawing (width)). The minimal resolution of tif, jpg and png files is 300 dpi. Regarding text within the graphical abstract, its size should be 12–16 points (smaller fonts will not be legible online).
A graphical abstract has to be read horizontally or circularly and have a rectangular, square or round shape. It cannot be a single column read from top to bottom.
The editorial office of Adv Clin Exp Med does not offer graphical or DTP services – the authors have to provide graphical abstracts in a finished form. Neither one of the figures from the manuscript (e.g., a graph or diagram) nor a PRISMA diagram can simultaneously serve as a graphical abstract.
The graphical abstract cannot exceed the size on one A4 page – it should be less complicated than, e.g., conference poster. Therefore, it should not contain tables, figures taken directly from the paper or whole paragraphs of text, as well as it cannot be compiled from tables and figures from the manuscript. It also must not include:
- reference showing how the paper should be cited;
- logotype of Wroclaw Medical University;
- title of the journal;
- cover of the journal.
More on how to prepare visual abstract (with examples): https://www.elsevier.com/authors/tools-and-resources/visual-abstract
More on how to prepare graphical abstract, more examples and an online tool to prepare it: https://mindthegraph.com/blog/create-effective-graphical-abstract/
Should any questions arise, do not hesitate to contact the editorial office. Please send the graphical abstracts via e-mail at the e-mail address marek.misiak@umw.edu.pl.
Some inspiring graphical abstracts:
