Figure captions, lables 和 legends 之区别：论文概念辨析系列（第8期）

论文各部分内容的作用不同，它们各司其职，从不同角度呈现研究。但同时，又有不少概念让作者们感觉困惑，比如：Abstract 和 Introduction 有何区别？figure captions，labels 以及 legends 是同一个概念吗？在这个系列中，意得辑作者 Fatima 就论文中常见的易混淆概念进行详细辨析。

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第八期：Figure captions, lables 和 legends 之区别

The Results section of a manuscript includes tables, figures, and other non-textual elements that illustrate the findings of the research. Captions, labels, and legends are used to identify and provide details about such illustrations. These terms refer to distinct elements that serve differing purposes and cannot be used interchangeably. Captions are the titles or headings of figures, tables, or illustrations and tell the reader what a particular table or figure contains. Legends, on the other hand, are brief descriptions of figures or tables and often indicate how to interpret the information presented in the corresponding illustrations. Legends are descriptive and talk more about the data presented in tables or figures to facilitate understanding of the data. Labels are part of the figure or illustration and are used to name the components of a diagram. They are used to identify each element of the illustration. All three of these elements are required for a figure, table, or illustration to be complete and comprehensible, independent of the main text of the manuscript.

我们通常会用图表等非文字内容作为工具来解读研究发现。图题（figure caption）、图例（lable）、图注（legends）等信息让图表更好懂，但他们各自用处不同，不能交替使用。图题是指图表/图片的标题，用来概括图表内容。图注一般包含对图表的简单描述，指导读者如何读图。图注多为描述性语言，有助增加读者对数据的理解。图例是图表的一部分，用来标注、命名图中元素。要做一张完整、好懂，单拎出来也完整的图表，以上三者都不能少。

上一期：Results 和 Discussion 之区别：论文概念辨析系列（第7期）