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A normal distribution showing the range of values in one, two, and three standard deviations from the mean.

Why you should stop writing “data are shown as means ± SD (n = 3)” in your figure legends

Patrice Salomé of Plant Editors explains what it all means!. You are finally writing up that major study; the methods section is coming together, and you have assembled your figures, to which you need to add captions, including the level of replication in all quantitative assays. If you are like most authors, you will be tempted to write “Data are shown as means ± standard…

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A normal distribution showing the range of values in one, two, and three standard deviations from the mean.

Why you should stop writing “data are shown as means ± SD (n = 3)” in your figure legends

A normal distribution showing the range of values in one, two, and three standard deviations from the mean.

When you can (and when you absolutely should not) show a standard error in your plots

Untangling biological and technical replicates (with cookie analogy)

Model figure showing the process of leaf senescence, with EIN2 repressing expression of the microRNA locus MIR164. Transcription of MIR164 and processing produces the miR164 microRNA, which targets the ORE1 transcript for degradation. At the bottom, a diagram depicts the decreasing amounts of mir164 and increasing amounts of ORE1 as the healthy leaf progresses through leaf senescence.

Beyond the Bench: Crafting Compelling Scientific Figures with Patrice Salomé at Plant Editors

Figures in focus: Image integrity scans

A grackle perches on a tree stump. The bird is black with a shiny, iridescent head and white eye.

Figures in focus: Accessible color schemes

Prothonotary warbler on a branch. The bird is tiny and a glowing yellow orange with grey wings.

Figures in focus: Figure preparation

Monarch butterfly on milkweed flowers

Cover letters: Don’t miss the opportunity