Pat Schloss
@patschloss.bsky.social
Papa to 9 microbes, mackerel snapper, shepherd, master of sucking. I want to help you learn the skills you'll need to succeed in science.
That's not a thing anymore. We're importing meat from other countries where farmers have access to vaccines, dewormers, etc that we don't because of regulations.
October 30, 2025 at 12:14 PM
That's not a thing anymore. We're importing meat from other countries where farmers have access to vaccines, dewormers, etc that we don't because of regulations.
Actually... that would be an interesting study. In ag we can have the numbers and control for diet, genetics, and environment. Vaccinate 1000 animals and leave 1000 unvaccinated. Notice anything different? Obviously besides them being alive or not
October 29, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Actually... that would be an interesting study. In ag we can have the numbers and control for diet, genetics, and environment. Vaccinate 1000 animals and leave 1000 unvaccinated. Notice anything different? Obviously besides them being alive or not
As a rule, I refuse to read papers in Cell.
Too. Damn. Long.
Too. Damn. Long.
October 24, 2025 at 9:43 PM
As a rule, I refuse to read papers in Cell.
Too. Damn. Long.
Too. Damn. Long.
Again, I'm not picking on these authors, which is why I'm not sharing the link or the full image of the figure. This is a very common problem. Part of me dies when we're told by a seminar speaker that they didn't design a figure for their audience. It's worse when it's in a paper (20/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Again, I'm not picking on these authors, which is why I'm not sharing the link or the full image of the figure. This is a very common problem. Part of me dies when we're told by a seminar speaker that they didn't design a figure for their audience. It's worse when it's in a paper (20/20)
What can journals do about this? Enforce your instructions to authors. Don't publish these types of figures. Allow/encourage authors to publish figures with fewer panels that are easier to digest and interpret (19/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
What can journals do about this? Enforce your instructions to authors. Don't publish these types of figures. Allow/encourage authors to publish figures with fewer panels that are easier to digest and interpret (19/20)
Encourage authors to break the mold. There's nothing magical about a 5 figure paper. We are putting our head in the sand to think there's only 5 figures in these papers anyway. This paper actually has 21 labelled panels. I've seen 100 labelled panels in a 5 figure paper (18/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Encourage authors to break the mold. There's nothing magical about a 5 figure paper. We are putting our head in the sand to think there's only 5 figures in these papers anyway. This paper actually has 21 labelled panels. I've seen 100 labelled panels in a 5 figure paper (18/20)
What can reviewers do about this. Actually look at the figures. Print them out. Are they readable? If you're looking at them on a screen do you need to zoom and scroll across the figure? (17/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
What can reviewers do about this. Actually look at the figures. Print them out. Are they readable? If you're looking at them on a screen do you need to zoom and scroll across the figure? (17/20)
Set the width of the entire image to the intended width. In this case, 180 mm or 7 in wide. Set the minimum resolution to 300 dpi. Work with that as your canvas that all of your panels must fit into. Each panel needs to be at least 300 dpi (16/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Set the width of the entire image to the intended width. In this case, 180 mm or 7 in wide. Set the minimum resolution to 300 dpi. Work with that as your canvas that all of your panels must fit into. Each panel needs to be at least 300 dpi (16/20)
Open your intended journal's instructions to authors and go to where it talks about figures. Here are Nature Microbiology's (15/20) www.nature.com/nmicrobiol/s...
AIP and formatting | Nature Microbiology
AIP and formatting
www.nature.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Open your intended journal's instructions to authors and go to where it talks about figures. Here are Nature Microbiology's (15/20) www.nature.com/nmicrobiol/s...
Heck, you don't even have to print it out. Open it up on your computer at a size that will fit your screen (Let's assume you don't have a jumbotron). What does it look like as a PDF? In the resolution the image will appear on the website? Do you have to scroll to see the rest of the figure? (14/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Heck, you don't even have to print it out. Open it up on your computer at a size that will fit your screen (Let's assume you don't have a jumbotron). What does it look like as a PDF? In the resolution the image will appear on the website? Do you have to scroll to see the rest of the figure? (14/20)
What can authors do about this? PRINT OUT YOUR FIGURES! Can you read the text? Can you differentiate the points you expect your audience to differentiate? (13/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
What can authors do about this? PRINT OUT YOUR FIGURES! Can you read the text? Can you differentiate the points you expect your audience to differentiate? (13/20)
So, journals are giving us three methods of reading a paper. Only one of which allows you to actually read the figure reliably (12/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
So, journals are giving us three methods of reading a paper. Only one of which allows you to actually read the figure reliably (12/20)
This tells me that while the overall figure may be at a high resolution, the individual panels are likely at a lower resolution. You can't do that (11/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
This tells me that while the overall figure may be at a high resolution, the individual panels are likely at a lower resolution. You can't do that (11/20)
But if we look at the rest of the data being presented in the figure, it's horribly pixelated at this resolution (10/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
But if we look at the rest of the data being presented in the figure, it's horribly pixelated at this resolution (10/20)
Let's look at the PDF. Finally, we can zoom in and see the names clearly. Of course, you have to scroll to see much more than the names (9/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Let's look at the PDF. Finally, we can zoom in and see the names clearly. Of course, you have to scroll to see much more than the names (9/20)
Alright, Let's print the thing out. Do I need to comment? Good luck reading it, much less scanning up half the page to interpret the data (8/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Alright, Let's print the thing out. Do I need to comment? Good luck reading it, much less scanning up half the page to interpret the data (8/20)
Let's download or open the figure in a new tab. Now we zoom in. There are the names in a somewhat, albeit pixelated text. I've seen worse (7/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Let's download or open the figure in a new tab. Now we zoom in. There are the names in a somewhat, albeit pixelated text. I've seen worse (7/20)
If you click on the image, you'll get a page with the figure and its caption. You still can't read the names. Zoom in. The caption gets bigger, but the figure stays the same size. (6/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
If you click on the image, you'll get a page with the figure and its caption. You still can't read the names. Zoom in. The caption gets bigger, but the figure stays the same size. (6/20)
Let's say you are one of those special people that reading a web-based version. You can't possibly read those taxa names at the bottom of the figure. Can you? (5/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Let's say you are one of those special people that reading a web-based version. You can't possibly read those taxa names at the bottom of the figure. Can you? (5/20)
There's no need to call anyone out specifically. It seems to be a widespread problem. Let me demonstrate with a recent example from Nature Microbiology. A fairly decent journal in some people's estimation. (4/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
There's no need to call anyone out specifically. It seems to be a widespread problem. Let me demonstrate with a recent example from Nature Microbiology. A fairly decent journal in some people's estimation. (4/20)
It seems there are three approaches people are reading the literature - as a web page, a PDF on a screen, or on paper. If you are someone that can read on a screen, my hat's off to you. I cannot read anything more than an abstract on a screen. (3/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
It seems there are three approaches people are reading the literature - as a web page, a PDF on a screen, or on paper. If you are someone that can read on a screen, my hat's off to you. I cannot read anything more than an abstract on a screen. (3/20)
I'm seeing more and more figures in papers where the authors should have a caption that says, "I know this is too small for you to read but..." (2/20)
October 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
I'm seeing more and more figures in papers where the authors should have a caption that says, "I know this is too small for you to read but..." (2/20)
Agreed. And yet, whenever I say this type of thing there's always someone who will sheepishly pipe up and say, "it's really good at Z" as if to excuse A through Y. Makes me want to run my head through a wall.
October 22, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Agreed. And yet, whenever I say this type of thing there's always someone who will sheepishly pipe up and say, "it's really good at Z" as if to excuse A through Y. Makes me want to run my head through a wall.