Topic 5 Using Visuals.pdf

8/20/2019 Topic 5 Using Visuals.pdf

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INTRODUCTION

Visuals such as tables, drawings, photographs, graphs and charts are an essential

and integral part of science and technical studies. When used appropriately,visuals allow information to be presented more clearly, precisely and effectivelythan text alone.

WHY USE VISUALS?

Visuals come in handy when:

(a) Words alone are insufficient to describe a concept or an object;

(b) It is necessary to highlight an important point, especially in summary; and

(c) There is a need to help readers understand and interpret information moreaccurately.

We will consider each of these points in turn.

5.1

TTooppiicc

55 Using Visuals

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

1. Explain how to use visuals effectively;

2. Incorporate visuals into text; and

3. Use result and contrast structures appropriately.


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TOPIC 5 USING VISUALS64

5.1.1 Describing

Visuals allow an audience to see what a writer or speaker is explaining. For aperson primarily involved in reading or listening to a set of instructions, visualscan be very helpful in enhancing understanding. Visuals can portray theprocedure as a whole or just highlight particular aspects of the procedure.

5.1.2 Highlighting Important Points

Often, you need visuals to bring out an important point or to summarise data.For instance, the following pie chart summarises the budget of a school andhighlights immediately the fact that the bulk of the budget goes to „SpecialProgrammes,‰ as shown in Figure 5.1.

Figure 5.1: Pie chart showing the budget of a school

ACTIVITY 5.1

In groups of four, discuss the reasons for using visual aids.


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TOPIC 5 USING VISUALS 65

5.1.3 Interpreting Information Accurately

Visuals help by allowing the reader to form a quick impression of the relative

size of a particular „slice of the cake‰. This allows the reader to interpret the datamuch more quickly.

For example, read the following paragraph:

The texture of loamy sand soil has a pH of 5.65 and organic mattercapacity of 4.03 megs. The texture of sandy clay loam soil has a pH of6.1% and organic matter capacity of 4.03 megs. The texture of sandy loamsoil has a pH of 5.63% and organic matter capacity of 4.08 megs. Thetexture of loam soil has a pH of 5.6% and organic matter capacity of 3.7

megs.

You will find that it is difficult to scan the paragraph quickly since theorganisation of the paragraph does not help the reader to accurately understandand compare the information.

In contrast, the following table presents the information in a more organisedway, enabling the reader to compare and interpret the data much more quickly.Even though both the paragraph and the table present the same information, it iseasier to interpret the information in table form, as shown in Table 5.1.

Table 5.1: Types of Soil

Types of Soil pH ( ) Organic Matter Capacity (megs)

Loamy sand soil texture 5.65 4.03

Sandy clay loam soil texture 6.1 4.03

Sandy loam soil texture 5.63 4.08

Loam soil texture 5.6 3.7

However, tables emphasise discrete rather than continuous data and make itvery difficult to show trends or directions in the data. Thus, for maximum visualimpact, tables should probably be the last choice as a visual and used only whenit is important to provide a great deal of information with precision in a verysmall space.

Other types of visuals commonly found in scientific and technical texts are graphs,flow charts, exploded views, maps, photographs and representative drawings(sometimes to scale).


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All these visuals have different advantages in presenting information but also sharea common characteristic providing information, usually details, that are tedious toread in the form of solid text, or difficult to describe via words alone.

Understanding that each visual has its advantage and purpose makes it easier toselect the right one for use within documents, as illustrated in Table 5.2.

Table 5.2: Types of Visuals

Table Usually gives numerical details. Useful for comparison.

Pie chart Best illustrates the various percentages that make up awhole. Useful for comparison.

Graph Provides numerical details but is less precise because it is

designed to show relationships quickly. Useful forshowing trends over time.

Flow chart Provides similar information as tables and graphs. Alsoshows the stages of a process or procedure.

Exploded view and

representative

drawings

Visual physical description as they show the spatialrelationships of parts of an object or a device.

Photograph More realistic than drawing. Useful when readers needan exact representation. Covers a wide range ofinformation from blown-up fine detail, such as textures

to great sweeps of land.

However, without some kind of text explanation, there is hardly any visual thatcan provide information with the same clarity and precision as well-writtenscientific and technical texts do.

Now, try the following exercise to check your understanding of what you havelearnt so far.


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INCORPORATING VISUALS IN TEXT

Visuals may make reading and understanding of information in a text easier. Buta visual cannot substitute a text; instead, it complements the text.

5.2.1 Placement and Labelling in Writing

Visuals must be conveniently placed and clearly labelled. A hard-to-find visualthat lacks a proper title and identification of its major parts is of little use toreaders.

5.2

ACTIVITY 5.2

1. Read the passage below and sketch the image created in yourmind:

The digestive system is a series of hollow organs joined in a long,twisting tube from the mouth to the anus. Inside this tube is alining called mucosa. In the mouth, stomach and small intestine,the mucosa contains tiny glands that produce juices to helpdigest food.

There are also two solid digestive organs, the liver and the pancreas, which produce juices that reach the intestine throughsmall tubes. In addition, parts of other organ systems (forinstance, nerves and blood) play a major role in the digestivesystem.

After you have tried sketching the image, look at the drawingpresented in the Answers section. Compare your sketch to thedrawing.

If you are like most readers, chances are your sketch capturesonly some of the features of the digestive system but not all.Formal drawing, on the other hand, presents a lot of informationabout sizes, shapes, details and arrangements which are not

presented in words.

2. Identify and collect examples of four different types of visualsfrom books, magazines and brochures. For each type of visual,describe the function.


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(a) Placement A visual can appear immediately after it is mentioned, or as an appendix orattachment.

If you decide to place the visual in the text, then it should be insertedimmediately after it has been mentioned, or as near to the text as possible,preferably on the same page. This will make it easier for the reader to referto the visual and understand it in its full context.

However, if the table or figure is too big to fit onto the page immediatelyafter it is mentioned, then it can be placed on a separate page.

In cases when you feel that incorporating the visual into the text takes awayfrom the ease of reading, place the graphic as an appendix (in a long pieceof writing) or as an attachment (in a short piece of writing).

The general guideline is to insert visuals as appendixes or attachments if:

(i) They are too big and bulky to be included in discussion;

(ii) They may show information that a reader needs to refer to,throughout the entire piece of writing; or

(iii) They present information not immediately relevant for the reader butis important later.

(b) Labelling

Most visuals should be identified with a title and number. The differentparts of the graphic should also be appropriately labelled. These two typesof labelling will help readers to quickly relate and make use of theinformation presented in the visual in their discussion. Severalconsiderations are important in labelling visuals and these are shown inTable 5.3.

Table 5.3: Guide in Labelling Visuals

Clearly stated title

Visuals should have clear titles. Sometimes, the title identifiesthe type of visual as well as its content.

Example:

Figure 3: Interview evaluation sheet

Number Visuals are numbered consecutively throughout the text.Usually, tables and figures are numbered separately.

Examples:

Figure 1, Figure 2, Table 1, Figure 3, Table 2


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Correctly placed title

According to most style manuals, tables should have theirnumbers and titles at the top. On the other hand, figuresshould have their identification at the bottom.

Parts identified Besides the title and number, a visual should also have itsparts clearly labelled. On a graph, the vertical and horizontalaxes should be named. On a diagram, the parts should also be named.

5.2.2 Talking about Visuals

Once you have decided to use a visual, you must integrate or ÂtieÊ the visual tothe text so that it makes sense to readers.

The easiest way to integrate a visual with the text is to explain its main pointsand any special implication that a reader should note. Visuals that accompanywritten or oral presentations must be properly introduced and discussed.

(a) Introduction The introduction is usually a general statement explaining what the visualshows. You can introduce the visual by giving it a number, for example, byreferring it as Figure 1, Table 2, etc.

In an oral presentation, however, you need not give the visual a number as

you can simply point to the table or figure. Here are some examples ofintroductions:

This graph shows that oil production has increased

As you can see, oil production has increased

As shown in Figure 2.1, oil production has increased

Figure 2.1 shows that oil production has increased

When you compare the production of petrol and diesel, you can see that petrol is more popular among the people in Malacca.


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(b) DiscussionThe visual must be discussed soon after it is introduced.

(c) Language Use pointers such as the following to refer to the visual in the textualexplanation:

„See Figure 2,‰„As illustrated in the following diagram,‰ or„Table 1 indicates the pertinent factors.‰

Remember to use the correct terminology. Tables are referred to as tableswhile all other visuals are referred to as figures. Examples are as follows:

As the graph in Figure 4 indicates Note the ranking position of motorcycles as depicted in Figure 8.Study the amounts of salary increase shown in Table 3.

Look at the bar chart below.

Write four different sentences to introduce the bar chart.

ACTIVITY 5.3


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(d) Purpose of description You must be clear about the purpose of your description. Know what youhave to describe or explain, and why you are doing it; then, keep to the

point. Look at the different ways of describing a personal device assistant(PDA) suggested below.

(i) As an instructional aid

Written description;

Parts named and functions shown;

Diagram of parts; and

Limited maintenance advice.

(ii) As a specification

Dimensions;

Details of working parts; and

Operation and maintenance.

(iii) In a trade journal

Description of main features;

Emphasis on advantages over other models;

Test information; and

Comments upon suitability.

(iv) In an advertisement

Outline of main features; and

Emphasis of features that have selling appeal.

(e) Order of descriptionThere are no hard and fast rules for the order of description of a visual.However, it would be systematic if we structure the description in a certainway. For an exploded view or object, here are some possible ways:

(i) From left to right, following conventional type movement.Example: Describing the general appearance of a machine withdetailed reference.


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(ii) From general to the detailed, or the reverse.Example: Describing the general appearance of a machine before

explaining details, fittings and accessories.

(iii) In the order in which components are assembled.Example: Describing machinery for manuals.

(iv) By division into functional parts.Example: Describing an internal combustion engine in ignitionsystems --

fuel; cooling; lubrication; mechanical.

Now that you understand why it is important, and how to, describe visuals, trythe following exercise to test your understanding.

XYZ PDA

On display from DotMY was the XYZ PDA, the latestin their line of pen/touch-based PDAs. The XYZ PDAis different from its predecessors because it sports anantenna for wireless Internet and information access.Through Palm Net wireless service, users can connectto the Internet, conduct e-commerce and send andreceive instant messages. This service is now availablein the New York area and will soon become availablein other regions of the US. National availability will

occur by the end of 2010, in 260 major metropolitanareas. Many information services will be available,such as news, sports, traffic, entertainment, financeand travel.

ACTIVITY 5.4

Read the following passage. Can you identify the purpose and order ofthe description?


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THE RIGHT WORDS AND STRUCTURES

5.3.1 “Result” Pattern

Often when we use visuals to illustrate a point, we talk about results. There aresome common structures for expressing results as shown in Table 5.4, Table 5.5and Table 5.6.

Structure 1

Table 5.4: Example of Structure Expressing Result

a corrosive acid is liable to be

produced.

Therefore

Consequently

As a result

Hence

special precautions have to be

taken.

the crystal boundaries of themetals are broken down.

the metals disintegrate.

the valve closes some of thelow-pressure nozzles.

so that

with the result that

the speed drops.

Structure 2


As a result of

In consequence of

Consequent upon

condensation, a partial vacuum was produced.

the development of the jet engine, much greater speeds can beattained.

increase in traffic density, underpasses and fly-overs were built.


Superheating the steam results in

leads to

increased efficiency.

There is also another common structure for expressing result. These are the „sothat„ pattern and „so as to‰ pattern.

Study the following examples:

(a) The problem is so complex that it can only be solved by computers.

(b) Malaysia has so much palm oil that it can export large quantities.

5.3


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(c) The population is increasing so rapidly as to cause a food shortage.

(d) The country has so little rubber as to make it necessary to import largequantities.

Before you continue, Do the following exercise to enhance your understanding.

5.3.2 “Contrast” Pattern

There is another useful structure that is commonly used to show contrast oropposition between two facts when talking about visuals. Look at Table 5.7.

Table 5.7: Structures Showing Contrast Opposition between Two Facts

(a) Mercury has a veryregular coefficient ofexpansion

while

whilstwhereas

water has a variable coefficient ofexpansion.

(b) While

Whilst

Whereas

mercury has a veryregular coefficientof expansion,

water has a variable coefficient ofexpansion.

(i) The contrast can be emphasised by adding „on the one hand.‰Example: While on the one hand a hot engine can run on a weak

mixture, a cold engine requires a richer mixture.

Complete these statements with the „so as to‰ or „so that‰structures.

1. The problem presents many difficulties nosatisfactory solution has yet been found.

2. The friction losses are . much reduced .. becomenegligible.

3. The molecular agitation becomes . violent themolecules break away from each other.

4. The temperatures in the turbine are .. high specialnickel alloys must be used.

5. The load on the turbine may be great . it stops the blades from turning.

ACTIVITY 5.5


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(ii) „On the other hand‰ is often used alone after a full-stop.Example: A hot engine will run on a weak mixture. On the other

hand, a cold engine requires a richer mixture.

(iii) „In contrast to‰ + NounExample: In contrast to the rich mixture needed to start a cold

engine, a weak mixture is sufficient to keep a warm enginerunning.

You have come to the end of this topic. It is hoped that you have a goodgrasp of what has been discussed. To test your understanding, attempt theexercise below. When you have finished, you can proceed to the next topic.

1. Read the following text and draw a tree diagram, or any visual ofyour choice, to illustrate your understanding.

There are many different types of evidence that we can useto support our ideas when writing a university assignment.The two general types of evidence are personal and

published evidence. The latter comprises popular press andacademic press. Academic press can come from threesources, namely, primary, secondary and tertiary.

2. Use Structure 1 or Structure 2 of the Result pattern to link thesestatements:

(a) the computer speed is limited; it will soon become obsolete.

(b) the bad weather; progress on the bridge was held up.

(c) water was sprayed into the steam causing condensation; apartial vacuum was produced.

(d) mass production; the goods became cheaper.

3. Use the Contrast pattern to link these statements:

(a) Insufficient air will prevent complete combustion. Too muchair will reduce the temperature of combustion.

(b) The traffic density on the road is very high during peakhours. It is very low at midday and during the night.

(c) The steam in contact with the steam chest is comparativelydry. The steam in contact with the piston is much wetter.

ACTIVITY 5.6


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Visuals are an essential and integral part of science and technical studies.

Visuals allow the audience to see what the writer or speaker is explaining.

Visuals can be very useful in helping us to understand a procedure.

Visuals are also needed to bring out an important point or to summarise data.

Visuals help in making exact amounts of information easy to see and thisallows the reader to interpret the data much more quickly.

Understanding that each visual has a purpose makes selecting and usingvisuals within documents easier and more effective.

Without text explanation, there is hardly any visual that can provideinformation with the same clarity and precision that well-written scientific andtechnical texts do.

Visuals are almost always a complement to the written text and not a substitutefor it.

Visuals must be convenient and clearly labelled for the reader to use. A hard-to-find visual aid that lacks a title and identification of its major parts is useless.

The easiest way to integrate a visual with text is to explain its main points andany special implications. Visuals that accompany written or oral presentationmust be introduced and discussed.

Result and contrast patterns are used when talking about the facts presented invisuals.

Contrast pattern

Flow chart

Graph

Order of description

Pie chart

Result pattern

Text

Visuals

Documents

Topic 5 Using Visuals.pdf