To maintain clarity, accessibility, and adherence to best practices in academic publishing, JMIR Publications follows strict guidelines regarding the types of figures permitted in our journals.
In all cases, we encourage authors to provide their data in the form of exact values.
Below, we outline which figure types are not permitted, suggest alternative formats, and provide a brief rationale to help authors understand why changes may be requested.
Quick Links
- Simple Pie Charts
- Complex Pie Charts
- Simple Bar Graphs
- Complex Bar Graphs
- Word Clouds
- Node Diagrams
- Tables Submitted as Images
- Copyrighted Figures
- Images of Research Participants
Quick Reference
| Figure Type | Permitted? | Required action |
| Simple pie charts | No | Convert to table, text, or multimedia appendix |
| Complex pie charts | Yes | — |
| Simple bar graphs | No | Convert to table, text, or multimedia appendix |
| Complex bar graphs | Yes | — |
| Word clouds | No | Convert to table or multimedia appendix |
| Node diagrams | Yes | — |
| Tables as images | No | Insert Table in Word/Kriyadocs |
| Copyrighted figures | Action required | Provide permission or license |
| Images of participants | Action required | Provide consent form or deidentify image |
Simple Pie Charts – Not Allowed
Why?
Simple pie charts often add unnecessary visual clutter and are difficult to interpret, especially for readers with visual impairments. When only a few data points are presented, they are better conveyed in text or as a table.
Alternatives:
- Integrate the data directly into a paragraph.
- Present the data in a table (eg, n (%) format).
- Move the figure to a multimedia appendix.
Example of a simple pie chart:
Complex Pie Charts — Allowed
Complex pie charts that display multiple segments or require visual explanation are allowed.
Example of a complex pie chart with exact values provided:
Simple Bar Graphs – Not Allowed
Why?
Simple bar graphs are those that show a single quantitative variable with or without error bars representing simple summary statistics (eg, means with SDs or odds ratios with CIs). These are not permitted for reasons of data presentation efficiency and accessibility.
Alternatives:
- Integrate the data directly into a paragraph.
- Present the data in a table with clearly labeled headers.
- Move the figure to a multimedia appendix. Exact values for each bar should be provided on the graph.
- If the data are continuous (eg, week 1, week 2, etc), a line graph can be used instead. Exact values should be provided on the graph.
Example of a simple bar graph:
Example table format (preferred):
| Outcome | Mean (SD) |
| Overall acceptability | 6.53 (0.47) |
| Recommend to others | 6.50 (0.51) |
| Learned new things | 6.63 (0.56) |
| Changed attitudes about yourself | 5.13 (0.39) |
| Learned specific skills | 6.13 (0.68) |
| Used specific skills | 4.24 (0.46) |
Complex Bar Graphs – Allowed
Why?
Complex bar graphs are visual tools used to represent multifaceted or layered data, effectively highlighting patterns, trends, and relationships that may not be readily discernible through numerical tables alone.
Allowed:
- Stacked bar graphs with multiple data dimensions
- Bar graphs comparing multiple quantitative variables
- Graphs showing visual trends (eg, seasonal patterns or rankings)
Example of a bar graph with rankings with exact values (allowed):
Examples of comparative bar graphs with exact values (allowed):
Example of a stacked bar graph with exact values (allowed):
Word Clouds – Not Allowed
Why?
Word clouds are visually engaging but lack quantitative precision and accessibility for all readers, including those using screen readers.
Alternatives:
- Present the word frequency data in a table (limit to most relevant terms if lengthy).
- Include full datasets as a multimedia appendix.
Example of a word cloud:
Node Diagrams — Allowed
Why?
Node diagrams are allowed as they convey relationships, not just frequency.
Example of a node diagram:
Tables Submitted as Images – Not Allowed
Why?
Tables submitted as images cannot be properly edited, reformatted, or accessed by screen readers, impacting both editorial workflows and accessibility.
Required action:
- Recreate tables using the "Insert Table" function in your Word document. If working on Kriyadocs, you can upload your Word file by clicking "Insert" then "Table" or send the Word file to your copyeditor via email or a Kriyadocs query.
- Update any in-text references (eg, change "Figure X" to "Table X") and renumber accordingly.
Exception:
Tables may be submitted as images if colors or icons are essential to convey additional information. Examples include heat maps, risk of bias assessments, and forest plots; if unsure, please consult your copyeditor.
Examples of tables that should be submitted as images (allowed):
Copyrighted Figures – Permission Required
Authors must ensure one of the following applies:
- The figure is your own original work.
- The figure is reused under a valid Creative Commons license (with attribution).
- You have obtained written permission from the copyright holder (upload proof as a supplementary file).
While the JMIR production team takes steps to ensure that copyright and privacy conditions are met, it is the authors' responsibility to ensure that the privacy of research participants is protected or relevant permissions are on file and can be produced in case of any postpublication disputes.
Images of Research Participants – Consent or Deidentification Required
We uphold ethical standards for participant privacy. To publish identifiable images, authors must either:
- Deidentify the image (eg, blur faces, obscure tattoos)
- Obtain explicit written consent from the participant (upload signed consent forms during submission)
Related:
- How many tables and figures can I include in my article?
- What are the guidelines for supplementary files (figures, Multimedia Appendix, additional material for reviewers/editors only)?