This example shows how to easily visualize data from big datasets in reports. The freely available software packages R, LyX and LaTeX yield flawless graphs.
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When in academia, one needs to publish a thesis sometime. With guidance and templates from Set your Text, one can easily design a bachelor, master or PhD-thesis.
Scientific research should be reproducible. Your scientific reporting should enable others to repeat your research project. Transparent data processing can contribute to reproducible science. Every article, thesis or report contains a “methods” section. Here the author describes typically only on a high-level the calculations that were performed on the measurement data. People acquainted with the field of research can understand this. Others are left with questions.
Chemfig is an excellent LaTeX package that enables you to easily draw chemical structures. One needs to get a bit used to the code chemfig “eats.”
Reporting on processed data can become tedious. Imagine having produced twenty graphs from (processed) measurement data. When looking at the graphs the other day, it occurs to you that the colors are indistinguishable for color blind people. Thus you need to produce those twenty graphs a second time. Just because of the colors. You could save yourself from this extra work, when you integrate data processing and reporting.
LaTeX takes care of pagination. A sophisticated algorithm spreads your text across pages in an efficient and beautiful way. There is no need for user involvement. The pagination is carried out according to the preferences set by the user in advance. For example, chapters in a book usually start on a new page.
Apart from the use of ligatures, the horizontal placement of individual characters can be optimized. For example, an “e” next to a capital “Y” can be shifted somewhat to the left, such that this e can shelter a bit under the roof provided by Y. This looks better to the eye compared to the standard horizontal space used between characters.
Certain combinations of letters collide. Typesetting two times the letter “f” results in an accident waiting to happen:
Set your Text always loads the microtype package. This ensures automatic minor adjustments to character placement. What does that mean? Have a look at the figure above (or this pdf file or the view below this blog text), then you will see the effect of microtype.
A lot of references to other articles, books etc. are made in a scientific article. BibTeX closely cooperates with LaTeX in order to take care of our bibliography. In fact, many people started using LaTeX/BibTeX for the very reason of hassle-free citations.
The good news is, you can start using your bibliography (.bib file) while writing your text in LyX. Just choose a citation style, and be assured you can come back to this decision any time.