English HW

Notes About Using Graphics in Your Essay Definition Graphics are: drawings, diagrams, flow charts, photos, maps, graphical presentations of data (e.g. bar charts and pie charts), etc. The Purpose of Graphics • Use graphics to help readers understand what you have written. • Do not replace text with graphics [click for an example] • Graphics must be appropriate –funny pictures would not be appropriate in this essay.

[click for an example] • Graphics must be relevant –only include them if they can add to or support your text.

[click for an example] The Format of Graphics • Graphics must be large enough for detail to be clear but they should not consume

unnecessary amounts of space on the page. • Each graphic must have a figure number and a title which briefly describes its content.

[click for an example] • Graphics must appear in your essay in numerical order. The Location of Graphics • Graphics must be located at relevant points in the text (not collected together as an

appendix) but do not allow graphics to break paragraphs. • Place graphics between paragraphs and as soon as possible after the paragraph where first

mentioned. [Click for an example] Linking Graphics to the Text • At the point in the text where it is most relevant for the reader to look at a graphic, add a

link to it. • In the links, refer to graphics by number. [click for an example] Writing About Graphics [click for examples] • In your text, explain your points and link them to graphics where relevant. • Do not present a graphic first and then use the text to explain it. Acknowledging Graphics [click for examples] • Acknowledge the sources of graphics to avoid accusations of plagiarism • Note that for publication you need permission from the copyright owner of graphics • You can modify graphics but should still acknowledge the source and include a note about

modification

Do Not Replace Text With Graphics: Examples

Example 1: The Text is Supported by the Graphic (GOOD) One cause of environmental pollution is the piles of illegally dumped rubbish (Figure 1) wherever a piece of land is easily accessible by motorised vehicles. The uncaring attitude of contractors who are responsible will have a long term effect on the environmental safety of Hong Kong as a whole.

Example 2: The Graphic Attempts to Replace the Text (BAD) One cause of environmental pollution can be seen in Figure 1. This will have a long term effect on the environmental safety of Hong Kong as a whole.

[BACK TO NOTES]

Figure 1: A Hill of Refuse in Outlying Areas

Figure 1: A Hill of Refuse in Outlying Areas

Graphics Must be Appropriate: Examples EXAMPLE 1: Inappropriate Use of Graphics It is possible that at some time in the future, life forms from another planet (Figure 1) will visit the earth. If this happens there is no reason to assume the visitors will be hostile (Figure 2).

[BACK TO NOTES]

Figure 1: Alien Life Forms Figure 2: Friendly Alien

Relevance of Graphics: Examples EXAMPLE 1: Relevant Use of Graphics (GOOD) Although Hong Kong has access to large areas of sea, its potential for producing electricity is severely reduced when the sea remains calm (Figure 1) which is true for significant portions of the year. Calculations of the economic viability of investing in wave power technology must take into account reduced production in calm periods. EXAMPLE 2: Irrelevant Use of Graphics (BAD) As a coastal region, Hong Kong has access to large areas of sea (Figure 1) which make the generation of electricity from wave power a viable option that is worth considering. This technique is used to good effect in other coastal areas.

EXPLANATION: The figure in example 1 helps you explain to the reader what you mean by “calm”. This is important as the term may be understood differently by different readers. The figure in example 2 shows readers what a sea looks like. They already know that so the figure adds nothing. [BACK TO NOTES]

Figure 1: The Sea

Figure 1: The Calm Sea

Format of Graphics: Examples

Example 1:

Example 2:

[BACK TO NOTES]

Figure 1: Venus in the Morning Glow (© C. M. Kwan)

Figure number

Title Acknowledgment

Figure 10: The SARS Research Team at Chinese University of Hong Kong with Their Discovery. (Source: http://hk.yimg.com/hk/providers/mingpao/20030414/30414viruscode.jpg and http://hk.yimg.com/hk/providers/mingpao/20030414/30414viruscode_dna.jpg)

AcknowledgmentFigure number

Title

The Location of Graphics: Examples

Background In 1870, John Tyndall, a physicist, established a simple experiment to show the propagation of light in a medium. His equipment (Figure 1) was a tank of water and a candle. As water was released from a hole in the side of the tank, the light from the candle was observed clearly at the bottom of the water jet. It was well understood that light travels in a straight line but this experiment demonstrated that light could travel along other paths if guided through another medium. This experiment is the foundation of fibre optics technology which uses glass fibres as the medium for guiding light along curved paths.

The glass fibres can operate in the same way as the water in John Tyndall’s experiment. By guiding the light within the fibres it can be guided around corners. In this way, light can be used to transmit data over long distances without the necessity for a straight path or a line-of-sight. This capability has been developed to a high level and, because light travels at high speed, has become an important tool for high speed data transmission. [BACK TO NOTES]

White card

Figure 1: John Tyndall’s Experiment

Partially transmitted light

reflected light from the candle

Linking Graphics to Text: Examples

The famous Hong Kong skyline as seen from Victoria Harbour (Figure 1) is a powerful point of attraction for tourists to Hong Kong and an achievement that Hong Kong people can be proud of. However, the water of Victoria Harbour is another matter. It is not something any society would want to be proud of. Victoria Harbour is highly polluted. One glance at the surface of the water shows an ugly mess of polystyrene containers and plastic waste which floats on the water alongside other less identifiable but equally disgusting waste products (Figure 2). This is an achievement that Hong Kong people cannot be proud of.

In addition to the visible pollution, Victoria Harbour is suffering from the invisible pollution caused by many years of dumping toxic waste into the harbour waters. The levels of trace metals in the harbour waters increased rapidly between the mid-1970s and the early 1990s (Table 1). It could be argued that this is part of the price paid for the rapid development of Hong Kong’s industry in that period. However, it could also be argued that these high levels of trace metals are simply the result of lax government controls on industry in that period and could have been avoided.

[BACK TO NOTES]

Year Copper(Cu) Chromium(Cr) Zinc(Zn) Lead(Pb) 1975 65.3 35.5 160.5 68 1990 484 76.2 189.6 71.5 1991 531.4 113.1 207 81

Table 1: Yearly mean levels of trace metals (mg kg-1 ) in the sediments of Victoria Harbour (Huang, Hong and Wong, 1996)

Figure 1: Victoria Habour in Hong Kong © 2003 Chung Yuen Man

Figure 2: Wastes floating on Victoria Harbour © 2003 Chung Yuen Man

Writing About Graphics: Examples Example 1: (Note that Figure 3 shows statistics for each year since 1985)

✔ The quantity of fish preserved by salting has decreased since 1985 (Figure 3) although it remains a popular method.

✖ Refer to Figure 3. It shows the quantity of fish preserved by salting has decreased since 1985 although it remains a popular method. Explanation: Use the graphic to support your point. Do not explain the graphic. Example 2: (Figures 5 & 6 show data for the popularity of freezing and salting respectively) ✔ Freezing as a method of preservation (Figure 5) has become more common than salting (Figure 6).

✖ According to Figures 5 and 6, freezing has become a more common method of preservation than salting. Explanation: You make the comparison. The graphics do not have an opinion.

[BACK TO NOTES]

Acknowledging Graphics: Examples Example 1: NOTE: You need permission from the copyright holder to use photographs and drawings unless there is a specific statement that it is not necessary (for example with clip art). If you created the graphics (e.g. took your own photos) it is not necessary to add a copyright message but it is a good idea to do so to avoid confusion.

Example 2: Example 3:

Note: There is no need to acknowledge copyright for data but the source must be included. [BACK TO NOTES]

Year Copper(Cu) Chromium(Cr) Zinc(Zn) Lead(Pb) 1975 65.3 35.5 160.5 68 1990 484 76.2 189.6 71.5 1991 531.4 113.1 207 81

Table 1: Yearly mean levels of trace metals (mg kg-1 ) in the sediments of Victoria Harbour (Huang, Hong and Wong, 1996)

Figure 1: Venus in the Morning Glow (© C. M. Kwan) Acknowledgment of copyright

Figure 10: The SARS Research Team at Chinese University of Hong Kong with Their Discovery. (Source: http://hk.yimg.com/hk/providers/mingpao/20030414/30414viruscode. jpg and http://hk.yimg.com/hk/providers/mingpao/20030414/30414 viruscode_dna.jpg. © Mingpao, 2003)

Acknowledgment of source Acknowledgment of copyright

Source