SRplot: A free online platform for data visualization and graphing

PLoS One. 2023 Nov 9;18(11):e0294236. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294236. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Graphics are widely used to provide summarization of complex data in scientific publications. Although there are many tools available for drawing graphics, their use is limited by programming skills, costs, and platform specificities. Here, we presented a freely accessible easy-to-use web server named SRplot that integrated more than a hundred of commonly used data visualization and graphing functions together. It can be run easily using all Web browsers and there are no strong requirements on the computing power of users' machines. With a user-friendly graphical interface, users can simply paste the contents of the input file into the text box according to the defined file format. Modification operations can be easily performed, and graphs can be generated in real-time. The resulting graphs can be easily downloaded in bitmap (PNG or TIFF) or vector (PDF or SVG) format in publication quality. The website is updated promptly and continuously. Functions in SRplot have been improved, optimized and updated depend on feedback and suggestions from users. The graphs prepared with SRplot have been featured in more than five hundred peer-reviewed publications. The SRplot web server is now freely available at http://www.bioinformatics.com.cn/SRplot.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Graphics
  • Data Visualization*
  • Internet
  • Software*
  • User-Computer Interface
  • Web Browser

Grants and funding

Y.W. received Grant from the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (2022JJ30850) and D.T. received Grant from the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (2023JJ40850) and the Foundation of Health and Family planning Commission of Hunan Province (D202303047052). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.