What is a figure legend?

A figure legend, also called a caption, is a concise description accompanying a figure (e.g., graph, chart, image) in a scientific or technical document. Its primary purpose is to provide sufficient information for the reader to understand the figure without needing to refer extensively to the main text.

Key aspects of a figure legend:

• Conciseness: It should be brief and to the point.
• Clarity: The language should be clear and unambiguous.
• Completeness: It needs to include enough detail to allow understanding. This usually includes:
  • A brief title or statement summarizing the figure's main point.
  • A description of the experimental conditions or methodology used to generate the data presented in the figure. You can find more about it in this link: Experimental%20Conditions.
  • Definitions of any symbols, abbreviations, or colors used in the figure.
  • Sample sizes (n) or the number of replicates.
  • Statistical information, such as the measure of center (mean, median) and measure of spread (standard deviation, standard error), and the statistical test used. More information about it in this link: Statistical%20Information.
  • Where applicable, the species or subject being represented.
• Placement: It's usually placed directly below the figure.
• Independence: While it complements the main text, it should ideally allow the figure to be understood on its own.
• Figure Number: Each legend begins with the figure number (e.g., "Figure 1.", "Fig. 2.")