Captions below images/graphs, are they required

[SarcasticDwarf]

I can't seem to locate anything saying whether captions are required under all images and graphs in a report (MLA if it matters). Does anyone know? It seems to me that it is rather redundant for graphs where the title explains what the graph is showing.

 

[JJChicken]

the way i always did it was if there was a title then no caption, otherwise yes caption. maybe put numbering into your titles, e.g. Figure 7: Title Goes Here

 

[JJChicken]

sorry double post how to delete?

 

[Roguestar]

On a good report you should have a key for the graph, the axes should have labels and the graph itself should have a title. There doesn't need to be a comment on the graph itself as a "caption" if included in a document as the title should do that job.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: Roguestar
On a good report you should have a key for the graph, the axes should have labels and the graph itself should have a title. There doesn't need to be a comment on the graph itself as a "caption" if included in a document as the title should do that job.

I think all of my graphs have very descriptive titles, so that should not be an issue.

Is there a way these should be refered to in the document text since they won't have "Figure XX"?

 

[dullard]

Any good report would have a brief INTERPRETATION of the graph in a caption below it. That is, what are you trying to say with the graph? That way, anyone who just flips open your report looking for data can instantly interpret your data without reading the whole report. But no, you don't need a title at the top (especially if it is the standard useless title that most people use) and the title in the caption. I greatly perfer no title and only a caption (to maximize the space on the graph for the graph and not for words), but that is my preference.

For example, suppose you had a graph of your cities temperature vs. the date. Most people do this:
1) Have a label for "Temperature" on the Y-axis.
2) Have a label for "Date" on the X-axis.
3) As a title, they say "Temperature vs. Date". Gee, isn't that useless and redundant already? The X- and Y-axis already says that.
4) As a caption, they say "Temperature vs. Date". Now it is doubly redundant.

I'd perfer this:
1) Have a label for "Temperature" on the Y-axis.
2) Have a label for "Date" on the X-axis.
3) No title.
4) As a caption, say "Figure 10: A large temperature spike from April 3 through April 11th contribuled to the start of our drought."

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Thanks Dullard, that makes a lot of sense. I think I will go with your method.