Drawing diagrams in books and papers is very common in academic writing. In fact, it’s actually a required component of all written composition, although some writing experts don’t consider it strictly a part of academic writing. It does make a difference to many who do consider it part of their written work, however, when it’s a picture or symbol that draws their attention, rather than a written sentence or paragraph. That can be especially true for visual communication. It may even help them think more clearly.
One example of how visual communication can help a writer is to illustrate an idea by drawing a diagram of what people’s thoughts are after they see it. That’s a form of diagrammatic reasoning. It might also be referred to as “thought mapping.”
There are a number of ways to use a graphical representation to help a writer to communicate an idea. These include:
In this form of reasoning, diagrams are not just visualizations; they’re a graphical representation of abstract ideas and concepts. They provide a simple way to visually depict a concept and its relationships, allowing a writer to explain it in an easy, clear and non-technical way.
The ability to visually communicate an idea through pictorial representations is a skill that is easily learned. In fact, the process of diagrammatic reasoning itself develops this skill. If you have trouble with this skill, try reading a good book or magazine on diagrammatic reasoning.
Diagrammatic thinking also allows a writer to describe ideas using language that is easier to understand and relate to. For example, it would be harder to write a technical essay without diagrams than to describe what the engineering idea meant to the engineer.
Diagrammatic thinking allows readers to create diagrams of different objects, concepts or ideas in their mind. In this way, diagrammatic thinkers become skilled at visualizing a large range of ideas and concepts. They may not necessarily need to refer back to their written text, but when they do, their reasoning becomes more accurate.
A person using this kind of reasoning has to be mindful of the amount of information they are presenting. The more information you present, the less likely the reader will be able to fully grasp all the details. It is important to keep the information short and concise. That’s because the shorter the diagrammatic reasoning is, the easier it will be for readers to visualize.
Visualization is a complex process, so the longer the diagrammatic reasoning is, the easier it will be for readers to comprehend. The more complicated diagrams a writer creates, the more difficult it will be for readers to visualize the idea.
Writers should use diagrams that are easy to read, even if they use them in order to explain things they know little about. Because diagrams can help readers relate what they read, they can be used to explain things that a reader doesn’t understand. They can show connections between words and ideas that aren’t apparent when they’re written.
For example, there are many logical diagrams of the human body, but a person who doesn’t know much about biology wouldn’t be able to describe all the different parts of the body in one diagram. By using diagrams of the various parts of the body, he or she can show readers the similarities between those different parts and explain why they appear the way they do.
Diagrammatic reasoning is one way to use diagrams to help a writer to communicate his or her ideas in a clear and concise manner. It makes the concept and ideas easier to understand, making it easier to express a point and more likely for readers to understand.
