Academic and research papers, in particular, are among the most daunting tasks students face. Thus, even those who find genuine joy in the research itself are often intimidated by having to put together such a complex piece of writing.
Perhaps, the reason for them feeling overwhelmed is the amount of data. Sometimes, there is too little of it, and you have no idea how to stretch whatever you have in order to meet the required word count. Other times, there is too much, so cramming it all in one paper becomes a problem instead.
And even if you do find balance, how do you make your paper engaging, well-structured, and easy to read? The easiest way is to find an essay for sale and use it as an example. You can also enhance your paper by adding infographics, regardless of whether you’re using an example or writing from scratch.
So, Why Use Infographics?
Most people prefer to consume data in visual form and avoid reading long complex texts. That explains the immense popularity of infographics everywhere from business to media to academia.
College professors like visuals, too. Although it doesn’t mean you can completely substitute texts with graphic elements, throwing in a couple of charts and text boxes will certainly enhance your paper whilst demonstrating your advanced information structuring skills at the same time.
So, how do you create infographics worthy of an A+ paper? Here are a few tips.
5 Tips on Creating Infographics
Creating quality visuals takes time and experience but the outcome is always worth the effort. If you don’t know where to start or have tried previously to no avail, try using the tips below.
Do Your Research
It may seem obvious, but many students fail to do this part properly anyway. Carried away by the idea that visuals can cover up the insufficiency of their initial research, they start creating visuals before they have enough data.
Yet, the truth is, you need to have plenty of information before you can start doing something with it. Great infographics are all about presenting complex and massive data in a simple form, not drawing pictures to present something that is already simple and clear.
Choose the Right Type of Infographics
The first thing you need to know, here are three types of infographics:
● qualitative
● quantitative
● mixed
The first type (qualitative) is used to present descriptive or explanatory information. Basically, these are texts edited for clarity and presented in a more appealing visual form.
The second type (quantitative) is all about data – figures and numbers. It means there’s scarcely any text needed except for the headings. The rest is mostly charts and diagrams.
The third type combines the first two. Mixed infographics contain both data, descriptions, and explanations, and utilize charts, diagrams, headings, and text bars all at once.
In most cases, you can present any information using any of these three types. Therefore, the choice comes down to defining your audience and deciding how much data you want to present in the visual form.
Sketch It On Paper
Unless you’re an experienced designer, it always helps to draw a sketch using a pencil and paper. Dependent as we are on technology, most of us still find it easier to work this way, and many people admit that they are more productive and creative with analog tools than with digital ones.
Once you’ve structured your thoughts on paper, you’ll replicate your sketch in a digital form in no time. It will help you avoid spending long tedious hours glued to a laptop.
Use a Template
Creating infographics from scratch is a challenging task if you’re not a professional designer. Luckily, there are plenty of ready templates both on the internet and in design programs such as Canva. Using these templates, you can craft fancy visuals fast and easily, provided you have all the information gathered and structured beforehand.
Here are some more software products you can use:
● Venngage
● Piktochart
● Crello
● Genial.ly
There are a lot more, both free and paid. You can even use the good old Adobe Photoshop, especially if you have a template.
Outsource
Last but not least – the sure way to get quality infographics is to order some from professionals. You can choose to outsource only a part of the job or all of it, but either way, it will be faster and easier than doing it all on your own.
However, be careful to choose a reliable person or company. Do your research (yet again) before you pick one and carefully check the end result to make sure you really get what you need.
Wrapping Up
Using infographics is a great way to make your research paper more appealing and engaging. Yet, creating quality visuals requires time and practice.
If you’re ready to take pains, use our tips to produce compelling graphic elements on your own. In case you don’t have the time or skills but still want to include professional visuals into your paper, find a reliable company or a freelancer and outsource the task.
