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Illustrating dataMaking charts with Microsoft Excel
a curved line with every point equal distance from the center
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Efficient communication !!Opportunity for instruction and research support digital literacies and scholarly communications !!Data are persuasive
Determine if a chart is needed !Pick the best chart for your data analysis and story !Design the chart for ease of reading and comprehension !Build the chart in Excel
1. Determine if a chart is needed
Table Chart
for ease of looking up values when the message is contained in the shape of the values
when precise values are required to reveal relationships among the values
Data Table Chart
The birthdate of every student library employee
The rising and falling numbers of student library employees working in each semester from 1995 to present
Important historical events in British Columbia and the year they occurred
The correlation between the number of hours worked by student library employees and their academic success
2. Pick the best chart for your data analysis and story
What’s your quantitative message?
Value comparison
Time-Series
Ranking
Part-to-Whole
Deviation
Distribution
Correlation
Common chart types Histogram
Pie chart 7%8%
10%
11%
29%
35%
Column/Bar chart
Line chart
0
25
50
75
100
April May June July
Scatterplot
3. Design the chart for ease of reading and comprehension
0
5
10
15
20
0 3 6 9 12
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5
10
15
20
0 3 6 9 12
0
5
10
15
20
0 3 6 9 12
Cou
nt o
f litt
er o
n th
e Va
ncou
ver t
est S
kyTr
ain
car
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5
10
15
20
Hours of operation
0 3 6 9 12
Millennium Line Expo Line Canada Line
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50
100
150
200
April May June July
0
25
50
75
100
April May June July
0
25
50
75
100
Month
April May June July
0
25
50
75
100
April May June July
Cou
nt o
f litt
er o
n th
e Va
ncou
ver t
est S
kyTr
ain
car
0
5
10
15
20
Hours of operation
0 3 6 9 12
Millennium Line Expo Line Canada Line
Cou
nt o
f litt
er o
n th
e Va
ncou
ver t
est S
kyTr
ain
car
0
5
10
15
20
Hours of operation
0 3 6 9 12
Millennium Line Expo Line Canada Line
Litter on sample Vancouver SkyTrain cars on Dec 17, 2013 Cleaning services needed by 9th hour of operation, particularly on Millennium and Expo lines
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17.5
35
52.5
70
April May June July40
80
120
160
200
April May June July
Sample A Sample B
0
17.5
35
52.5
70
April May June July
58
70
43
55
40
80
120
160
200
April May June July
5870
4355
Sample A Sample B
4. Build the chart in Excel and embed in document
Enter data on a worksheet
Insert tab, select chart
Cut and paste chart
Identify the
data story. Use Excel;
make visuals simple.
