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Principles of Graphical Display

Principles of Graphical Display. Tables and Graphs. Meaningful data Unambiguous data Efficient display. Meaningful Data. Make Meaningful Comparisons Rates, ratios Before and after Cross – sectional, between groups Time series Adjust for inflation. Unambiguous.

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Principles of Graphical Display

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  1. Principles of Graphical Display

  2. Tables and Graphs • Meaningful data • Unambiguous data • Efficient display

  3. Meaningful Data • Make Meaningful Comparisons • Rates, ratios • Before and after • Cross – sectional, between groups • Time series • Adjust for inflation

  4. Unambiguous • Define data with titles, legends, labels, footnotes. • Specify the source

  5. Table 4: Change in Teenage Birth Rates: 1987-1998White   6.7%  Black -4.9  Asian -1.8 Hispanic   3.7 Source: Statistical Abstract 2000, Table 85

  6. Efficient: • Minimize the ink-to-data ratio • Sort data on meaningful variable (not alphabetical) • Use consistent formatting across tables

  7. Ink to data ratio • De-emphasize gridlines, borders and backgrounds • Never use 3-D • Display more than 1 variable • Use data labels, not scales to minimize the number of numbers

  8. Pies are badnote how the 3-D pie exaggerates the relative size of the front slice

  9. 2-D is better than 3-D, but…..

  10. ChartJunk

  11. Proper sorting • Time goes left to right • Highlight comparisons

  12. Avoid Distortion • Beware of scaling effects • Use tables if variables are of different units: e.g., dollars and percents. • Adjust variables in common units to common starting point • Use right and left scales

  13. Figure 7: Scaling distortion

  14. http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110004698http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110004698

  15. Reading: • http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=147 • Spending: • http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=66

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