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Describing, Clarifying and Presenting Data
3. Data Displays
3.1. Tables and graphic displays
Tables and graphic displays allow data to be represented in a way
that aids communication to others. In an account or report, well-presented
tables and graphics can highlight features in the data that are
not obvious in the 'raw data'. Data presentation and exploration
form the focus of this section.
Tables
The benefits of using tables are that they:
- allow exact numerical values to be reported (or rounded if the
detail of the exact value is unimportant);
- can be used to summarise information (you might, for example,
see them used in newspapers to report opinion polls);
- are generally arranged in columns and rows, which aids comparison
and understanding;
- can reduce the repetition of units in the presentation of data;
and
- can be used to show numbers and text depending on the type of
data to be displayed.
Graphic Displays
Graphic displays include bar charts, pie charts, histograms, line
graphs and scatterplots. Graphic displays are used to:
- compare groups;
- look at relationships between variables;
- illustrate trends; and
- show the 'distribution' of data from one variable.
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