Statistical Disclosure
A figure that requires the reader to consult the Methods section to know what the error bars represent — or what the stars mean — is not self-contained. Statistical Disclosure is Licklider's system for ensuring every figure carries all the information needed to interpret it independently. Five rules. None optional.
What is Statistical Disclosure?
Statistical disclosure requirements exist in journal guidelines, but they are rarely enforced at the point of figure creation. A researcher finishing an analysis at midnight does not pause to check whether the error bar label meets Nature's specific formatting requirements. The resulting figure reaches submission with unlabeled error bars, missing effect sizes, and causal language in titles — and the reviewer flags it.
Licklider enforces all five disclosure rules automatically. The rules cannot be silently bypassed — each requires either compliance or an explicit acknowledgment that the researcher understands the disclosure requirement and has a stated reason for deviation.