Introduction

Our world is dominated by images. We have stories presented to us in visual form by movies and television. Companies ask us to buy their products through commercials and print ads. Because images are so prevalent in our world, writers often use visual aids, including graphics, tables, charts, and graphs to help their readers understand complex data.

Writers use visuals in their writing to

• grab the reader’s attention;
• make the work more interesting to read; and
  
• help readers understand what they are reading.

Because we live in a visual world, you must be able to read and interpret visuals. In this lesson you’re going to look at examples of graphics, tables, charts, and graphs, and learn how to interpret their data. You’ll be able to use this skill to enhance your research.