Scientific drawings can be made using several methods, depending on a particular laboratory investigation. For a microscopy lab, the drawings are made in circles that represent the viewing field of a microscope. For other labs such as dissection labs, the drawings are representative of the entire organism or parts of the organism. These drawings show the relative size, shape, and location of anatomical structures. Most scientific drawings are labeled.

Use the following guidelines to help make your scientific drawing as clear as possible:

• Use a pencil.
• Title your drawing.
• Be sure that the size of the drawing is proportional to the way it appears in the field of view.
• Use a ruler to draw label lines.
• Do not use arrows for label lines.
• Be sure that label lines point to the center of the structure being labeled.
• Print all labels horizontally.
• Label the right-hand side of the drawing, if possible.
• Do not cross label lines.
• If color is used, be sure that it accurately represent the color of the object.
• Include magnification (if a microscopic drawing) or a scale (if a macroscopic drawing.)