Visual Abstract

Visual abstracts are required for original research articles (Regular Articles and Brief Reports), Review articles, How I Treat, or Blood Spotlight articles that are undergoing revision, and they are encouraged, but not required, for Special Reports. Visual abstracts are welcome at initial submission, but they are not required until the revision stage. Whereas some professional illustrator assistance is available for articles solicited by the Editors (Review Articles, How I Treat, or Blood Spotlights), it is the responsibility of all authors to create their own visual abstract.

Authors must use one of the Visual Abstract templates provided below when preparing their visual abstract, and should submit their visual abstract as a PowerPoint file.

General considerations

A visual abstract is a single, concise, pictorial and visual summary of the main findings of the scientific article. While preparing a visual abstract, please consider that it is aimed at:

• allowing readers, the vast majority of which are not experts in the field, to quickly gain an understanding of the take-home message of the paper;
• helping readers identify more quickly which papers are most relevant to their research interests;
• promoting interdisciplinary scholarship;
• enhancing research dissemination through social media, e.g., X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.

 

The ideal visual abstract should be simple and self-explanatory, with a mix of text (used sparingly) and images. The visual abstract of a research paper should include the following components:

• a descriptive, non-assertive, capitalized title (in title case, where each major word is capitalized) that defines the subject with plain language and does not anticipate the conclusion;
• a section highlighting the context of the research (background, aim);
• where reasonable and important to convey the manuscript’s impact, a section briefly summarizing the methodology employed;
• a section reporting the main outcomes;
• 1-2 assertive conclusions (key points);
• Authors and DOI placeholder.

As a self-explanatory piece, a Visual Abstract should allow readers to understand the essential content before reading the article. The best way to establish whether a visual abstract is self-explanatory is to ask a colleague in a different field of biology or medicine to read it as a standalone piece and then verify his/her understanding.

 

Visual Abstract Preparation

Visual abstracts must be original; material reproduced from other sources may not be used. In preparing visual abstracts, authors should only use images for which they have permission or rights. To avoid any potential problems, either use the copyright filter during an image search online or subscribe to an icon image bank. The internet has many image banks which are free to use, and copyright images are prohibited from use. Thousands of free medical images are available at

• Free Medical Images (Servier Medical Art, SMART)

Additional assistance:

• Lettering must be large enough to be legible (Font Arial 12 to 16 points)
• Select bold, solid color icons
• Avoid highly detailed icons as the intricacy may be lost in the small format
• Exclude trade names, logos, or images of trademarked items
• Keep the use of text to a minimum, and avoid presenting data in tabular form
• If the image depicts a biological or biochemical process, it should flow from left to right or top to bottom
• Avoid excessive detail, overcrowded presentation, or clutter. 

Templates for Creating a Visual Abstract in PowerPoint

Authors must use one of the Visual Abstract templates provided below when preparing their visual abstract. The related PowerPoint files include representative examples taken from recent Blood articles.

Templates:

• Blood Single-Field Visual Abstract Template. This template includes spaces for the title, a central field, and conclusions. It can be used for any article type and allows authors to freely organize their visual abstract in the central field (for instance, by inserting images that have been prepared separately).
• Blood 2-Point Visual Abstract Templates (original research articles). The 2 points (fields) may be Background/Methods and Main Findings, or Normal vs Pathological Condition, or Pathological Condition vs Effect of Treatment, etc.
• Blood 3-Point Visual Abstract Templates (original research articles). The 3 points (fields) should ideally be Context of Research, Patients and Methods, and Main Findings/Outcomes.
• Blood Review Visual Abstract Template
• Blood How I Treat Visual Abstract Template
• Blood Spotlight Visual Abstract Template
• Blood Special Report Visual Abstract Template

General Reminders Regarding Visual Abstract Preparation

What is a visual abstract?
A visual abstract is an illustration that concisely depicts the key findings of a scientific paper. It is intended to attract the attention of readers and make it easier for them to find articles that are of interest to them.

Where will my visual abstract be published?
The visual abstract will appear in the final online article. A reduced-size “thumbnail” image of the visual abstract will be part of the article’s entry in the online table of contents. The visual abstract will not be included in the print version of the journal.

Which articles in Blood will feature visual abstracts?
Visual abstracts will only be featured for Regular Articles, Brief Reports, Blood Spotlights, Review Articles, and How I Treat.

Are there other guidelines for preparing a visual abstract?
A visual abstract should be clear, concise, eye-catching, and comprehensible to a typical Blood reader. It should present the most important finding(s) of your study. Keep the use of text to a minimum, and avoid presenting data in tabular form. If the image depicts a biological or biochemical process, it should clearly flow from left to right or top to bottom. Avoid excessive detail or clutter.

Visual abstracts must be original; material reproduced from other sources may not be used. Do not include trade names, logos, or images of trademarked items in your visual abstract.

Can I get help with preparation of my visual abstract?
It is the responsibility of the authors to create their own visual abstract. Professional illustrator assistance for visual abstracts is only available for articles solicited by the Editors.

Can I use a figure from my article as a visual abstract?
We strongly recommend that the visual abstract be a separate illustration, not a figure from your article.