- Place figure captions at the bottom.
- Number figures with Arabic numerals.
- Include the same detail of information in a figure caption as in a table caption.
- Plot the independent variable on the x-axis, and the dependent variable on the y-axis, if you are making a scatterplot.
- Label the intervals on both axes. You may choose to label only some of them, for example every fourth or every fifth tick mark, but be consistent.
- Whenever possible, begin each axis at zero, and use the same interval size on both the x- and y-axis.
- Use a one inch margin along the binding edge, and a one inch margin at the bottom of the caption.
- Label axes with the appropriate units.
Example:
Figure 1
Weight vs Age for 10 Caucasian Males in Ojai, California
Note that in this case, it is not appropriate to use the same size intervals for the two axes, since the range on the x-axis is about 14 and the range on the y-axis is about 140.
