Align tikzpicture in multirow to the top

Question

I would like to align the plot shown in the picture below to the top, so that it is aligned with the "smile"-pictures next to it. I tried out different things, but nothing worked out. Maybe you have an idea how the alignment would work? What I have tried out:

• \begin{tikzpicture}[baseline={([yshift={-\ht\strutbox}]current bounding box.north)}]....
• use "p" instead of "m" in the tabular environment
• vary the tikzpicture height
• try to avoid multirow, but I was not able to find another way to organize the graph and the six pictures including the numbering nicely - but maybe you know another way?

Thanks a lot for your help! Simone

Here is the code:

\documentclass[
twoside,openright,titlepage,numbers=noenddot,headinclude,
footinclude=true,cleardoublepage=empty,
dottedtoc, 
BCOR=5mm,paper=a4,fontsize=11pt, 
ngerman,american, 
floatperchapter, 
]{scrreprt} 

\usepackage{tikz,pgfplots}
\usepackage{calc}
\usepackage{multirow}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\begin{document}
    
\begin{figure}[bth]
    \small
    \centering
    \noindent\begin{tabular}{m{6.0cm}m{0.1cm}m{1.8cm}m{0.1cm}m{1.8cm}}
        {(a)} & {(b)} &  & & \\
        \multirow{3}{*}{
            \begin{tikzpicture}[font=\small]
                \begin{axis}[
                    width=6cm,
                    height=6.8cm,               
                    xmin=800,xmax=990, 
                    scaled ticks=false, 
                    xticklabel style={/pgf/number format/.cd,fixed,zerofill,precision=0,use comma},
                    xtick={850,900,950}, 
                    ymin=0,ymax=0.14, 
                    yticklabel style={/pgf/number format/.cd,fixed,zerofill,precision=2,use comma},
                    ytick={0.04,0.12}, 
                    xlabel={Data x values},
                    ylabel={Data y values},
                    ]
                    \addplot+ [
                    sharp plot,only marks,
                    ]
                    coordinates {
                        (956.7818,0.0207)
                        (906.6738,0.0075)
                        (891.8467,0.0039)
                        (933.3216,0.2029)
                        (832.1925,0.4017)
                        (945.5146,0.2317)
                        (947.2539,0.0414)
                        (880.3353,0.1197)
                        (863.7405,0.0711)
                        (853.8516,0.0338)
                        (884.8370,0.0013)
                        (910.5405,0.0461)};
                \end{axis}          
            \end{tikzpicture}
        }
        & 
        (1) & \includegraphics[width=1.8cm]{smile.jpg} & 
        (2) &  \includegraphics[width=1.8cm]{smile.jpg} \\
        & 
        (3) & \includegraphics[width=1.8cm]{smile.jpg} & 
        (4) &  \includegraphics[width=1.8cm]{smile.jpg} \\
        & 
        (5) & \includegraphics[width=1.8cm]{smile.jpg} & 
        (6) &  \includegraphics[width=1.8cm]{smile.jpg} \\
    \end{tabular}
\end{figure}

\end{document}

And this is how it looks at the moment:

Answer 1

Edit:

• With use of two ties top aligned tables, where in the first diagram is manually moved down for amount determined by trial.
• Images in the second table have moved their baselines to their vertical center by use of the adjust package`:

\documentclass[
twoside,openright,titlepage,numbers=noenddot,headinclude,
footinclude=true,cleardoublepage=empty,
dottedtoc,
BCOR=5mm,paper=a4,fontsize=11pt,
ngerman,american,
floatperchapter,
]{scrreprt}

\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.17}
%\usepackage{calc}
\usepackage{multirow, tabularx}
\usepackage[export]{adjustbox}    % it load graphicx too

\begin{document}
    \begin{figure}[htb]
    \small
    \centering
    \adjustboxset{height=19mm,valign=c, margin=0pt 3pt 0pt 3pt}
\begin{tabular}[t]{l}
    (a)     \\[4ex]
    \begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[font=\small,
    width=6cm,
    height=6.8cm,
    xmin=800,xmax=990,
    xtick={850,900,950},
    ymin=0, ymax=0.14,
    yticklabel style={/pgf/number format/.cd,fixed,zerofill,precision=2,use comma},
    ytick={0.04,0.12},
    xlabel={Data x values},
    ylabel={Data y values},
    ]
    \addplot+ [sharp plot,only marks]   coordinates {
        (956.7818,0.0207)
        (906.6738,0.0075)
        (891.8467,0.0039)
        (933.3216,0.2029)
        (832.1925,0.4017)
        (945.5146,0.2317)
        (947.2539,0.0414)
        (880.3353,0.1197)
        (863.7405,0.0711)
        (853.8516,0.0338)
        (884.8370,0.0013)
        (910.5405,0.0461)};
\end{axis}
    \end{tikzpicture}
\end{tabular}\begin{tabular}[t]{*{4}{l}}
    (b) &&& \\
    (1) & \adjustimage{}{example-image-duck}%{smile.jpg}
        &   (2) & \adjustimage{}{example-image-duck}%{smile.jpg}
        \\
    (3) & \adjustimage{}{example-image-duck}%{smile.jpg}
        &   (4) & \adjustimage{}{example-image-duck}%{smile.jpg}
        \\
    (5) & \adjustimage{}{example-image-duck}%{smile.jpg}
        &   (6) & \adjustimage{}{example-image-duck}%{smile.jpg}
\end{tabular}
    \end{figure}
\end{document}

Note: diagram is higher as your images of smileys (you should tell us, where are available) therefore in MWE is prescribed their height (19 mm), which together give an approximate height of the diagram.

Answer 2

use

    \multirow{-2}{*}{

to get the plot shift upwards