ISYE 6414

Graphics and Tables

Well-designed graphics and tables are essential for communicating your findings effectively. This page outlines the requirements and best practices for all visual elements in your reports.

General Requirements

  • Use the same font as your report
    Graphics should use Times New Roman or Computer Modern (matching your report font). We expect the Final Report to look like a professional, academic paper with consistent typography throughout.
  • All graphics must be legible
    Overlapping or too-small labels will be penalized. Ensure all text in your graphics is readable at the document's standard viewing size.
  • Graphics should be appropriately sized
    Taking up half a page for a simple graph will be penalized unless it's a beautiful custom graphic that demands that size. Be judicious with space.
  • Include clear labels, titles, and captions
    Every graphic needs a descriptive title, labeled axes, and a caption explaining what the reader should take away from it.

Graphics Requirements for Final Report

Final Report Graphics Requirement

Your Final Report must contain exactly 5 graphics (combination of tables and data visualizations including charts and graphs). At least 1-2 graphics should be impressive "show-stoppers" with excellent visual design, coloring, and labeling.

What Graphics to Include

Your graphics should be elucidating and germane to your analysis. Focus on visuals that advance your narrative and support your conclusions.

Graphics You Should Include:
  • Model results (often best presented in a well-formatted table)
  • Visualizations that directly support your hypotheses or findings
  • Comparisons between different models or approaches
  • Heat maps of correlations (if they reveal something interesting)
  • Graphics that highlight anomalies or significant problems in your data
Graphics to Avoid (Unless Illustrative):
  • Routine EDA (Exploratory Data Analysis) plots that don't reveal insights
  • Standard goodness-of-fit plots unless they show something unusual
  • Generic distribution plots without a specific purpose
  • Any graphic that doesn't advance your narrative