Finding The Best Charts And Graphs For The Job
By Cheryl Knight, contributing writer
Solutions continue to offer more and better options for displaying data — a data representation that provides the information or comparison you are looking for can be the difference between having data and using data.
A Tableau white paper “Which Chart Or Graph Is Right For You?” can help sort through the possibilities to find the best options for you and your IT customers. Authors Ross Perez, Daniel Hom, and Lori Williams of Tableau describe and provide examples of 13 types of data displays and suggest when they might be the right choice.
Comparing
The authors of the paper say for comparing data or considering proportions, common bar charts and pie charts are often the choice. Consider putting bars on both sides of an axis to compare positive and negative values, and use bars when the number of “wedges” of a pie chart exceeds six. Histograms will show how data is distributed across groups, and bullet charts compare a primary measure to a goal or other measure. Heat maps are another way to compare data in two categories and quickly show any intersection, and highlight tables can take this a step further with additional details. A treemap can show how parts of data relate to the whole.
Looking For Trends
Those interested in trends turn often turn to line charts to display data. It’s an effective way to show data over time. To look deeper, consider a scatter plot, which can show concentrations and outliers as well as trends. Box-and-whisker plots show the distribution of data — and can be used to compare this among different data sets.
The What, The Where, And The When
Data based on location — such as sales by territory or where your customers are located — could be effectively displayed on a map. If you are involved in project management, or looking for a representation of schedules and deadlines, consider a Gantt chart. You can highlight specific data or augment other representations with bubble charts.
Request the white paper here to see examples of each type of display along with details and tips.