Writing and Publishing Scientific Articles
8-10
The following example models the decision-making process when screening for tuberculosis. Figures such as this not only facilitate readers’ understanding but also can be valuable aids in the clinic. These figures are sometimes referred to as “decision trees.” ▪ The figure shows each point in the process of deciding what tests to run and what interventions to consider. At each decision point, a choice between 2 responses leads readers to the correct next step. ▪ The original legend was very long (it has been truncated here). Whenever possible, information essential to the decision-making process should be included on the figure itself. Doing so was not feasible in this particular case.
Figure 7. Tuberculosis screening flowchart. . . . A chest radiograph is considered abnormal if it reveals parenchymal abnormalities; radiographs showing pleural thickening or isolated calcified granulomas are not considered to be suggestive of previous tuberculosis. . . . (Reprinted with permission from Jasmer RM et al. Latent tuberculosis infection. N Engl J Med 347:1860 – 1866, 2002. Copyright © 2002 Massachusetts Medical Society.)
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