Chart Types and their Uses
Overview of Chart Types and their Uses | Area Chart | Column/Bar Chart | Segmented
Column/Bar Chart | Frequency Polygon and Histograms | Line Chart | Pie Chart |
Scatterplot
Overview of Chart Types and their Uses
Chart Type PIG Typical Applications Variants, Remarks
Area Yes Cumulated totals (numbers or Percentage, Cumulative
percentages) over time
Column/Bar Yes Observations over time or under Vertical (columns), horizontal
different conditions; data sets (bars); multiple columns/bars,
must be small columns/bars centered at zero
Segmented Yes Proportional relationships over May be scaled to 100%
Column/Bar time
Frequency No Discrete frequency distribution
Polygon
Histogram No Discrete frequency distribution Columns/bars without gaps
Line, Curve Yes Trends, functional relations Data point connected by lines
or higher order curves
Pie Yes Proportional relationships at a Segments may be pulled out of
point in time the the pie for emphasis
(exploded pie chart)
Scatterplot No Distribution of data points along One-dimensional, two-
one or two dimensions dimensional
Map No Typically used for geographical Useful, if an analog relation
data; can also be used for parts can be used for representing
of devices, human or animal data
bodies
The column PIG indicates whether the respective charts types are available as Portable
Interactive Graphics.
Area Chart
Figure 1: Area chart
Use it to...
Display over time (or any other dimension):
o How a set of data adds up to a whole (cumulated totals)
o Which part of the whole each element represents
Variants
Percentage: The sum always represents 100% (relative scale)
Cumulative: The sum can vary according to the elements (absolute scale)
Column/Bar Chart
Use it to...
Present few data over a nominal (e.g. countries, testing conditions, ...) or interval
scale (e.g. time); useful for comparisons of data
Do not Use it for...
Comparisons: Better use one-dimensional scatterplots, because these are not
dominated by bars or columns.
Larger data sets: Use line charts.
Selecting Bars or Columns
Use analogy as a selection criterion, if applicable; when in doubt, use columns
Use a horizontal bar chart if the labels are too long to fit under the columns
Variants
Multiple Column/Bar Chart: Use it to present data rows for several variables
Side-by-Side Chart: Use it to (1) show contrasting trends between levels of an
independent variable, (2) if comparisons between individual pairs of values are most
important; do not use for more than two independent variables
Figure 2: Multiple column chart (left), side-by-side chart (right)
Segmented Column/Bar Chart
Other Names: Divided or stacked column/bar chart
Figure 3: Segmented column chart (relative values)
Use it to...
Present a part-whole relation over time (with accurate impression, see below)
Show proportional relationships over time
Display wholes which are levels on a nominal scale
Segmented column/bar charts are more accurate than pie chart, because distances can
be more accurately estimated than areas.
Frequency Polygon, Histograms
Figure 4: Histogram as frequency distribution
Variants
Polygon: Connects data points through straight lines or higher order graphs
Histogram: Columns/bars touch; useful for larger sets of data points, typically
used for frequency distributions
Staircase Chart: Displays only the silhouette of the histogram; useful for even
larger sets of data points, typically used for frequency distributions
Step chart: Use it to illustrate trends among more than two members of nominal
or ordinal scales; do not use it for two or more variables or levels of a single variable
(hard to read)
Pyramid histogram: Two mirror histograms; use it for comparisons
Line Chart
Figure 5: Line chart
Use it...
To display long data rows
To interpolate between data points
To extrapolate beyond known data values (forecast)
To compare different graphs
To find and compare trends (changes over time)
To recognize correlations and covariations between variables
If the X axis requires an interval scale
To display interactions over two levels on the X axis
When convention defines meaningful patterns (e.g. a zigzag line)
Line graphs may consist of line or curved segments:
Lines: Use straight lines to connect "real" data points
Curves: Use curves to represent functional relations between data points or to
interpolate data
Do not Use it...
If the X axis has non-numeric values
Variants
Graph with double-logarithmic or half-logarithmic scale divisions
Graph with variance bars, stock charts (High/Low/Close) etc.
Pie Chart
Figure 6: Pie chart
Use it to...
convey approximate proportional relationships (relative amounts) at a point in
time
compare part of a whole at a given point in time
Exploded: emphasize a small proportion of parts
Do not Use it ...
For exact comparisons of values, because estimating angles is difficult for
people.
For rank data: Use column/bar charts in this case; use multiple column/bar charts
for grouped data
If proportions vary greatly; do not use multiple pies to compare corresponding
parts.
Caution!
Pie charts cannot represent values beyond 100%.
Each pie chart is valid for one point in time only.
Pie charts are only suited to presenting quite a few percentage values.
Angles are harder to estimate for people than distances; perspective pie charts
are even harder to interpret.
Scatterplot
Figure 7: One-dimensional scatterplot (left), two-dimensional scatterplot (right)
Variants
1. One-dimensional scatterplot: Data point are drawn above a baseline (as in
column/bar charts). Here the data points are not connected but remain isolated data
points.
2. Two-dimensional scatter plot: Shows correlation between two data sets. This
chart type has two dependent variables: One is plotted along the X axis, the other
along the Y axis; the independent variable is the intersection of both dependent
variables, realized as a data point in the diagram.
Use it to...
Show measurements over time (one-dimensional scatterplot)
Convey an overall impression of the relation between two variables (Two-
dimensional scatterplot)
Do not Use it for...
Determining and comparing trends, interpolation, extrapolation, recognition and
comparison of change rates
More than one independent variable: Avoid illustrating more than one
independent variable in a scatter plot
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Source: Recommendations for Charts and Graphics
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Source: Recommendations for Charts and Graphics
