How to make research diagram figure?

[maath805]

Hi all, I was wondering if any of you knew if there was a software or something out there that makes the research diagrams I see in journals. They always seem to be in the same format.

Also, what is the difference between constructs in rectangles vs. ovals?

[Genomic Repairman]

Illustrator.

[Eigen]

Illustrator is what we use. There are a lot of vector drawing programs that will do the same type of job, however, not to mention all the specialized and field-specific programs that are out there.

[SNPCracklePop]

Illustrator, Photoshop, and GIMP work fine. GIMP is free to download.

[waddle]

also Dia (like Visio, open source), Inkscape (vector-drawing software)