Data presentation- An outline of the selected visual tool

Data presentation- An outline of the selected visual tool

Selected visual

The selected visual is a Bar chart, which is referred to as a histogram or column chart (Kirk, 2016). This visual tool uses bars in order to compare data of differing categories. It can either run horizontally or vertically based on the requirements.

Purpose of the visual

A Bar chart is used for illustrating and comparing different data sets. On one axis, categories are represented and on the other axis, discrete values are represented. The purpose is to display the relationship that exists between the axes. The Bar chart also shows the changes that occurred over a time period. The value of something is increasing can be understood by noting the length of the graph. Here, the axes are labeled using either numerical or a categorical variable. Again, it can also be drawn in 3-D, and the heights of the bars are scaled based on values.

Kind of data that should be compiled in the selected visual

A Bar chart is used for displaying quantitative values. The values belong to different categories. Moreover, the chart consists of line marks, and height or lengths are used for representing the values. Hence, the type of data decides the selection of the visual. Differences that exist between data sets, such as location or years, can be compared using the Bar chart. The audience can understand and emphasize more critical data, and the bars are particularly arranged based on the frequency order.

Kinds of data that should not be compiled

It is feasible to use Bar charts only in case of nominal data. Hence, continuous data should not be compiled using this chart. Moreover, ordinal data should not be compiled in a Bar chart. A Bar chart is completely different from the Line chart or Pie chart because the variables of Bar chart do not fall under the same category (Awad, Nagelkerke & Lesaffre, 2009). The chosen graph must not be difficult to understand for the audience. Hence, selected data should be easy to interpret. Simplicity is recommended.

Ways of avoiding making the visual misleading

A Bar chart should not begin above the zero mark. It should begin at zero so that visual misleading can be avoided. In case, a Bar chart mistakenly starts above zero, the risks of exaggerating the dissimilarities among the chosen data increase exponentially (Schonlau & Peters, 2008). Again, in order to avoid visual misleading in Bar chart, it is necessary to keep a consistent style while comparing data. The visual must be understandable by the audience, and they should be able to interpret the comparisons between data. Hence, choosing only one style and sticking to it is a necessity. Again, it is essential to remove any additional ink that might be present as gridlines or borders. It would enhance the simplicity of the chart. Furthermore, it is essential to label data as per its quantity and category. Again, it is vital to choose the right color while representing data to grab the attention of the audience. Lastly, in the case of a horizontal graph, data must be represented in descending order (highest to smallest amount).

References

Awad, M. A., Nagelkerke, N., & Lesaffre, E. (2009). Start with basics. Statistical and methodological aspects of oral health research. Chennai: Wiley Publications, 147-172.

Kirk, A. (2016). Data visualisation: a handbook for data driven design. Sage.

Schonlau, M., & Peters, E. (2008). Graph comprehension: An experiment in displaying data as bar charts, pie charts and tables with and without the gratuitous 3rd dimension. Social Science Research Network Working Paper Series, 1-16.