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Eric Rasmusen, erasmuse@indiana.edu 7 November 2006 Graphs and Tables. Principles of Graphs . 1. Keep the data-to-ink ratio high. 2. Erase data-ink for useless data. 3. Erase non-data ink. 4. Don't use Moire patterns. 5. Don't use boxes and grids.
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Eric Rasmusen, erasmuse@indiana.edu 7 November 2006 Graphs and Tables
Principles of Graphs 1. Keep the data-to-ink ratio high. 2. Erase data-ink for useless data. 3. Erase non-data ink. 4. Don't use Moire patterns. 5. Don't use boxes and grids. 6. Don't use cute pictures that obscure what you are saying. 7. Consider labelling individual data points of special interest. 8. Write text horizontally, not vertically. 9. Make the figure self-contained. Don't require the reader to refer to the text or a previous table. Include the source and the units of measurement. 10. Number and title every figure.
Principles of Tables 1. Keep the data-to-ink ratio high. 2. Leave out dividing lines and boxes unless you have a good reason for them. 3. Leave off repetitive, useless numbers. 4. Don't use just capital letters. 5. Circle or otherwise mark important numbers, in particular, ones you mention in the text or talk. 6. Make the table self-contained. Don't require the reader to refer to the text or a previous table. Include the source and the units of measurement. 7. Number and title every table.
Uniform Crime Reports: Crime in the United States, Section IV
http://rru.worldbank.org/Documents/PapersLinks/RI%20Final%20Guatemalai.pdfhttp://rru.worldbank.org/Documents/PapersLinks/RI%20Final%20Guatemalai.pdf
http://rru.worldbank.org/Documents/PapersLinks/RI%20Final%20Guatemalai.pdfhttp://rru.worldbank.org/Documents/PapersLinks/RI%20Final%20Guatemalai.pdf
http://www.bcg.com/publications/files/Balancing_Act_Implementing_an_Integrated_Strategy_for_Value_Creation_Nov05.pdfhttp://www.bcg.com/publications/files/Balancing_Act_Implementing_an_Integrated_Strategy_for_Value_Creation_Nov05.pdf
http://www.bcg.com/publications/files/Balancing_Act_Implementing_an_Integrated_Strategy_for_Value_Creation_Nov05.pdfhttp://www.bcg.com/publications/files/Balancing_Act_Implementing_an_Integrated_Strategy_for_Value_Creation_Nov05.pdf
http://www.bcg.com/publications/files/Balancing_Act_Implementing_an_Integrated_Strategy_for_Value_Creation_Nov05.pdfhttp://www.bcg.com/publications/files/Balancing_Act_Implementing_an_Integrated_Strategy_for_Value_Creation_Nov05.pdf
Edward Tufte The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (1983)(pictures of numbers) Envisioning Information (1990) (pictures of nouns) Visual Explanations (1997) (pictures of verbs).
http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0000SI&topic_id=1&topic=Ask%20E%2eT%2eNew York Times, March 20, 2003, p. D1