This is the desired feature of LaTex. By default, LaTex chooses (typographically) the most appropriate position for floating bodies (i.e. figures and tables). There is a way to force LaTex to place them manually by user.

Check this:

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX/Floats,_Figures_and_Captions

Pay attention to [h!] and [H] options.

While writing an article, don't focus on where the figures go, but keep focus on the content.

This is one of the advantages of having floating objects: they are placed in the best location LaTeX's algorithm finds; you can refer to them through \ref commands so that your paragraphs are consistent. Once you finish your article, you can start playing with options that allows to force the positioning.

A very detailed story about floats can be found in http://tex.stackexchange.com/a/39020/13304

K a lot guys Michal Kolář , Claudio Fiandrino and Zeashan Khan for your valuable suggestions and agree that content is more important than figures placement.

I would suggest you to try online LaTex editors like writelatex.com initially .They have many tutorials and good customer support where you can directly ask writelatex to place the image where you want.

My suggestion is: learn latex and type in commands by hands. Yo will spend slightly more time, but after done so, you will never ever have problems with Latex -- just read tutorials, compile it and check the output comments. If get used to online editor or a graphical editor, that inserts the commands for you, the result may become not transferable and you will not be able to proofread it later. Learn from the scratch, command line and read tutorials, my suggestion.

Placing figures in LaTeX works like this (the text will wrap it accurately above and below):

\begin{figure}[h]

\centering

\subfloat [Meadows of the seagrass. Source: \href{http://www.google.com/earth/index.html}{Google Earth}]{\label{fig:41a}\includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{Fig-38a.jpg}}

\subfloat [Patches (mattes) of the seagrass. Source: \textit{in-situ} videometric measurements]{\label{fig:41b}\includegraphics[width=0.47\textwidth]{Fig-38b.jpg}}

\caption{Variations in spatial structure of the seagrass landscapes. Page: $$}

\label{fig:41}

\end{figure}

Another option to wrap figure within the text in LaTeX:

\begin{figure}[H]

\centering

\includegraphics[scale=0.55]{Fig-24.jpg}

\caption{Script written on Python, for the interpolation raw data of the Trios-RAMSES measurements. \\ Page: $$}

\label{fig:A.8}

\end{figure}

Wrapping table in LaTeX (below is an example of a short table), but for more details just have a look at my MSc Thesis template:

Code LaTeX template for the MSc thesis

\begin{table}[H]

\rowcolors{1}{Ivory}{GhostWhite}

\caption{Number of Cases in each Cluster: results of the \textit{K-means} analysis of the measurement set 201-236 of the spectral reflectance of \textit{P.oceanica} (15.X.). \href{http://www.spss.com/}{SPSS}. Page: $$}

\begin{center}

\begin{tabular}{|c|c|}

\hline\hline

Cluster 1 & 55.000 \\ \hline

Cluster 2 & 136.000 \\ \hline

Valid & 191.000 \\ \hline

Missing & .000 \\ \hline

\end{tabular}

\end{center}

\label{tab:22}

\end{table}

here is some links for you and for researchers

Share Muhammad Ahsan Polina Lemenkova Artem V Badasyan Harish Ramani Claudio Fiandrino

I would revert the question: how can you write a research paper without using latex?

Artem V Badasyan easy. Word :) Do it till now :)

Ok. The problems with the Word are:

1. Arranging references as links requires a lot of work, more than in the case of Latex

2. From version to version the result changes -- you send a file to a colleague, and if his/her version is slightly different, the file is altered, and arrangement of figs and tables you worked so much on is changed unpredictably.

3. Placement of figures is never optimal

4. Numbering of formulas is a PNAS, if you know what I mean... Upon the change of Word version they can become uneditable pics, so that all over again.

5. Files larger than 10 pages are unstable, and one may end up having non-functional file. Say, a Diploma one week before the defence. A nice experience I had.

6. Latex is free from all the above.

Besides, yes, one can still write a paper in Word.

Artem V Badasyan this is not completely true.

1: programs: Mendeleyev, endnote etc. never have problems. Just importing into the program, 2 clicks in word and this is it.

2: I wrote the entire PhD. no problem with sending and correcting.

3: figures were ok. At least I can see them immediately. no need to save into file and additional clicking.

4: Have no problem with inserting the equations. Equation insert.

5: Ph.D was more than 150 pages. No crashes.

6: This is just stupid what is better. Latex or word. It is preferential. This is like arguing what is better: iPhone or Android.

The other argument for latex. Lots of people especially from chemistry etc do not use latex. But word. Because you do not need to learn additional codes. As a chemist I do not have time to learn how to write codes and how to write latex. you just write. I prefer learning new stuff connected to my field or working in a lab. For example, in JSI, the physics and computer science departments use latex. Another no (chemistry, material science, environment). So it is just preferential. As I said, what is better is just stupid to argue. Because someone will come now with another program (xx-xx) which someone will say, that it is the best.

Experiences differ, as well as goals. All my posts are expressing my personal opinions. It is arguing over an opinion that is stupid, it should be a discussion, I believe. Opinions differ, we all share it here, letting others chose what is suitable for them.

If writing a long paper with many equations, things can get messy in Word. I had a poor experience with Word and have switched to Latex, and it works, for me, for my goals. If Word fine for you, good.

Point 1 -- not faster than in Latex, same.

Point 2 -- I had an opposite experience with mine. Had to separate into chapters, and it was still unstable. Truth be said, in Windows XP. Old Latex files work fine till now, old doc files...

Point 3 -- Figures are seen immediately in Latex as well, the automatic placement is much better than in Word. Have you tried?

Point 4 -- If a couple of equations in a paper, ok, if most of paper are equations, Word is much worse and unstable.

Point 5 -- Interesting. I had an opposite experience and wouldnt risk. Those who tried, please share your experience with large docx files.

Point 6 -- Both iPhone and Android are clones of Unix, arguing which one is better is meaningless, no much difference. Word vs Latex is difference in functionality.

Let me rephrase. For a theoretical paper in Physics and Math Latex is a standard.

Artem V Badasyan I agree. but you started with a "question/opinion" how you can write it without latex. In your question, you can sense that there is no other option for writing a good article without latex. And that those which are using for instance word, are not writing good articles. Jut for info. Apple pages cost 25 euros (way less than office) and are compatible with office etc. So there is another option. Or open source programs on Linux.

Ahh, I see. No, I dont mean anyone who is writing in Word, writes poor papers. It was a metaphor, a way to stress the convenience of using Latex I experience. Some write papers with pen and paper, to concentrate on the content, and only then choose which environment to use. Nothing bad with that. What I meant to say, is that when writing a paper with lots of formulas and figs, I personally find it much more convenient to do it in Latex, and cannot imagine myself writing it in Word anymore, unless really required.