Outline from your figures

Most readers of a paper look at the title, abstract and figures, and only some read the text. So build the paper's story out of figures first, and write the text around them.

The method

1. Sketch every figure you could make from your results, on paper or slides.
2. Pick 4 to 6 that, in order, tell the story of your one message.
3. Write one sentence under each: what this figure shows.
4. Read those sentences in a row. That is your results section outline.
5. Then ask: what does the reader need to know first (introduction), and how did you get these results (methods)?

Chemist George Whitesides, one of the most cited scientists alive, recommends exactly this: outline the paper around the data, before writing prose.

Why it works

• It forces the logic of the story before the words.
• Gaps become obvious: "we need a figure that shows the baseline here".
• It prevents writing pages about results that don't fit the message.

Tables too

If a result is best as exact numbers, sketch the table. But keep the total small: each figure or table should earn its place in the story.

RememberSketch the figures, put them in story order, write one sentence each. That's your outline.