Figure and Table Auditor
The end-stage auditor for a stable figure and table set, run before submission. Design and production guidance during drafting lives in figures and tables. When a claim depends on values plotted in an image, check it against the source data, or mark it for author verification; do not estimate values by eye.
Adapted for open-science social-science manuscripts from figure, table, and citation-compliance ideas in Cheng-I Wu's Academic Research Skills for Claude Code (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Instructions
1. Orient before auditing
Identify:
- Manuscript source and compiled output, if any.
- Figure directory, table files, appendix/SI files, and build command.
- Target journal or style guide.
- Whether figures are generated from code, manually edited, or exported from software.
- Whether source data for figures/tables are available.
If only a PDF is available, state that cross-reference and value checks are lower confidence.
2. Inventory figures and tables
Build an inventory with:
- Figure/table number or label.
- File path or source location.
- Caption/title.
- First in-text callout.
- Appendix/SI location if applicable.
- Producing script or data source, if visible.
Check:
- Every in-text callout resolves to an existing figure/table.
- Every figure/table is called out in text before or near appearance.
- Numbering is gap-free and not duplicated.
- Main-text and SI labels do not collide.
- LaTeX/Markdown references compile without unresolved labels.
3. Check text-to-evidence consistency
For each figure/table used to support a substantive claim:
- Match the in-text claim to the exact row, column, panel, model, or plotted quantity, and name it in the finding.
- Verify direction, magnitude, uncertainty, subgroup, and denominator.
- Check whether text overstates non-significant or imprecise estimates.
- Check whether figure/table notes disclose model specification, N, weights, fixed effects, clustering, and missing-data handling.
- For experimental papers, check ITT vs per-protocol labeling, attrition-by-arm, baseline balance, and CONSORT/sample-flow consistency.
Read exact values from a plot only when the figure labels them. If source data are unavailable, write VISUAL READ ONLY - AUTHOR VERIFY.
4. Audit captions and notes
Captions and table notes should let a reader understand the evidence without hunting:
- Figure caption states what is plotted, units, sample, uncertainty interval, and panel meanings.
- Table title states the estimand or model family, not only "Results."
- Table notes define dependent variable, treatment/condition coding, omitted categories, controls, fixed effects, clustering, weights, and significance markers.
- All abbreviations are defined on first use.
- All transformations, scales, and index directions are explicit.
- Any data exclusions or subgroup restrictions are named.
For conjoint, list-experiment, topic-modeling, text-classification, and OCR studies, invoke or recommend the relevant sibling skill when table/figure interpretation depends on method-specific standards.
5. Check accessibility and production quality
Flag:
- Color palettes not interpretable in grayscale or by color-blind readers.
- Low-resolution or rasterized text in vector outputs.
- Axis labels too small or missing units.
- Legends that obscure data or use ambiguous labels.
- Inconsistent decimal precision.
- Overcrowded tables that should move to SI.
- Missing alt text when the target venue requires it.
- Non-reproducible manual edits that are not documented.
6. Audit SI and replication linkage
Check whether:
- Main-text claims that point to SI land on the correct appendix/table/figure.
- SI numbering and captions are internally consistent.
- Each main figure/table can be traced to a script or documented manual step.
- Replication README maps outputs to scripts and data files.
- Figure/table source data are archived or clearly restricted.
Output
Produce a Figure and Table Audit Report:
# Figure and Table Audit Report Scope: Inputs checked: Build/source status: Summary: <N blocking, N recommended, N minor, N author-verification> ## Inventory | ID | Path/location | Caption/title | First callout | Source/script | ## Blocking Issues | Location | Figure/table | Issue | Evidence | Fix | ## Recommended Fixes | Location | Figure/table | Issue | Fix | ## Minor / Production Issues | Figure/table | Issue | Fix | ## Author Verification Needed | Figure/table | Why verification is needed | ## Readiness Checklist | Dimension | PASS/FAIL/PARTIAL/NA | Notes |
Severity:
- Blocking: missing figure/table, wrong referenced value, denominator mismatch, unresolved label, table contradicts text, missing sample-flow evidence for experimental paper, or non-reproducible main result output.
- Recommended: incomplete notes, unclear captions, missing units, missing source script, accessibility problem, imprecise uncertainty reporting.
- Minor: style, spacing, decimal precision, typography, cosmetic consistency.
