Choosing the right graph for your data

Ordinal or nominal items, groups or categories

Compares data values across independent items, groups or categories (e.g. unemployment rates for each Australian state and territory)

• Order bars by size of data values to emphasise differences
• Use clustered bars for subcategories of groups, but limit clusters to 3 or 4 subcategories to enable comparisons across groups

• Dots represent single data values for each item or group; a column of dots can represent summary values for each group
• Can be mistaken for scatter plots or time-series graphs – consider using a bar graph instead

Time series

Shows how data values for a measure(s) change over time (e.g. population-adjusted breast cancer diagnoses recorded in Australia every year, for a 20-year period)

• Use to highlight trends or patterns in a measure over time
• Use for datasets that include data for more than about 8 time points
• Lines are connected, consecutive data values
• Lines always follow a horizontal direction, with time intervals on the x axis increasing from left to right, and the measurement variable plotted on the y axis
• Only connect consecutive values – intervals with missing data must be shown as a break in the line(s)

• Use for time-series data with a small number of time points – about 8 or less
• Use to emphasise specific data values, rather than an overall pattern or trend

• Dots represent data values at each time point. If connected, these dots form a line graph
• Can be mistaken for scatter plots – consider using a bar graph or line graph instead

Part to whole (i.e. proportions of a total)

Shows how data values relate to, compare with or make up a total measure at 1 or more points in time (e.g. proportion of Australia’s total primary energy supply attributable to each major fuel type)

• Use to show the value (i.e. percentage or proportion of an absolute total) of each part for a single population
• This type of data is often shown as a pie graph, which is not generally recommended

• Use to show proportions of a total measure for multiple populations
• Total(s) must add to 100% if values are percentages, or the total absolute value for other scales

• Use to show proportions of a total measure over time, for about 8 or fewer time points
• Use to emphasise changes in the relative size of parts over time

• Use to show proportions of a total measure over time, for about 8 or more time points
• Use to emphasise changes in the relative size of parts over time

Deviation

Shows the difference between data values and a baseline (e.g. differences between actual rainfall and predicted or previous-year rainfall for each month of a year)

• Use when your goal is to highlight deviations between measurements and some meaningful baseline or reference
• Bars (i.e. data values) above the reference or x axis indicate positive differences from the baseline; bars below indicate negative differences
• The y axis can measure absolute differences or percentage change between data values and the reference

• Use to show differences from a baseline or reference over time, when the dataset includes data for more than about 8 time points
• See above points for line graphs

Single frequency or distribution data

Shows how frequency or count values are distributed over the range of a measure (e.g. range of blood pressure measurements for men)

• Use a vertical bar graph to show frequency or count values across the range of a measure with few intervals
• Used as an alternative to a frequency polygon when individual data values must be emphasised

• Use to show frequency or count values across the range of a measure with many intervals
• Use to emphasise the shape of a distribution

• Use to show the distribution of a measure for a small population
• If multiple measurements are recorded for the same value on the distribution, these points should be stacked or shown in a denser tone than other (nonrepeated) points

• Use to summarise a measure’s distribution, rather than all individual data values
• May be unfamiliar to readers – consider plotting a simple histogram instead

Distribution of the same measure across multiple time points or categories

Shows how frequency or count values are distributed over the range of a measure, for more than 1 population (e.g. range of blood pressure measurements for men with 5 different medical conditions)

• Use to summarise multiple distributions of the same measure
• May be unfamiliar to readers – consider plotting summary values (e.g. medians of the distribution) as a bar chart for multiple groups or populations, or a line graph with or without upper and lower bounds for multiple distributions over time

• Multiple distributions are plotted side by side against the same y axis
• White space should separate each distribution
• See above points for strip plots

• Use to show distributions with a large number of time points – not multiple, discrete populations
• Median values for the distributions at each time point are connected to form a line
• The largest and smallest values for the distribution at each time point are connected to form (typically invisible) lines above and below the median line – the areas between the median line and these upper and lower bounds are shaded
• Upper and lower bounds may be an unfamiliar feature for readers – consider whether their inclusion adds meaning and whether this outweighs potential misperceptions among readers

Correlated measures

Shows an association between 2 measures or variables (e.g. children’s age and height)

• Each dot or data point represents a subject’s measurement on x axis and y axis variables
• Use to show that data points form a meaningful shape that indicates the type (or lack) of association between 2 variables
• Consider including a trend line to highlight the type and strength of association
• Depending on the audience, readers may be unable to interpret scatter plots – consider whether side-by-side horizontal bar graphs would better communicate the association

• Use to show an association between 2 measures when scatter plots are unfamiliar to readers
• Most effective for showing linear associations
• Two aligned bar graphs display each subject’s measurement on the first and second measures
• Order the bars by size on one of the graphs to emphasise the association between the 2 measures