Evidence Synthesis
Record Figure Panel Provenance During Data Extraction
Locate the panel that supports the claim
Open the full figure and its caption together. Record the article identifier, figure number, panel letter, outcome, time point, and legend entry. The article's figure wrapper can contain labels, captions, and graphic content. A file name by itself rarely identifies a panel or explains what an error bar represents.
Inspect the axes and legend before taking a value. Determine the units, scale, reference group, and definition of uncertainty, using the methods section or supplement where needed. Check whether a data table or repository supplies the underlying numbers. If a graphical reading remains necessary, document the extraction method and the precision it supports.
Review a hypothetical panel inventory
A figure has three panels. Panel A contains two series across four time points. Panel B contains three series at one time point. Panel C provides a schematic. There are eleven potential plotted series-by-time values, eight from A and three from B. If the protocol asks for the final time point in A only, two values meet that request. Extracting all eleven would change the analysis scope.
Keep each extracted value linked to its original panel and label, along with a second reader's check when available. A visually estimated coordinate should retain its estimated status so rounded plot readings cannot later be mistaken for author-supplied measurements.
Related worksheet: Derived figure provenance worksheet.
Source checked on 5 November 2026.