Bar graphs
• One of the simplest methods to display discrete data
• Bar graphs are useful for:
o Comparing classes or groups of data
o Changes over time
Strengths Limitations
Summarises a large set of data Requires additional information
Easy to interpret and construct Does not show causes, effects or patterns
Shows trends clearly Can only be used with discrete data
Compound or Divided Bar Chart
• The bars are subdivided to show the information with all bars totaling 100%
• The main use of a divided bar chart is to compare numeric values between levels of a variable
such as time
Population Pyramid
• A type of [Link] to show the age-sex of a population
• Can be used to show the structure of an area/country
• Patterns are easy to identify
Pie Chart/ Pie graph
• Used to show proportions, the area of the circle segment represents the proportion
• A pie chart can also be drawn as a proportional circle
Strengths Limitations
Clearly shows the proportion of the whole Do not show changes over time
Easy to compare different components Difficult to understand without clear labelling
Easy to label Hard to compare two sets of data
Can only use for a small number of categories otherwise
Information can be highlighted by separating segments
lots of segments become confusing
Rose Diagrams
• Use multidirectional axes to plot data with bars
• Compass points are used for the axes direction
• Can be used for data such as wind direction, noise or light levels
Scatter graph
• Points should not be connected
• The best fit line can be added to show the relations
• Used to show the relationship between two variables
o In a river study, they are used to show the relationship between different river
characteristics such as the relationship between the width and depth of the river
channel
Strengths Limitations
Clearly shows data correlation Data points cannot be labeled
Shows the spread of data Too many data points can make it difficult to read
Makes it easy to identify anomalies and outliers Can only show the relationship between two sets of data
Choropleth Map
• Maps which are shaded according to a pre-arranged [Link] shade represents a range of
[Link] is common for one colour in different shades to be used
Strengths Limitations
Makes it seem as if there is an abrupt change in the
The clear visual impression of the changes over space
boundary
Shows a large amount of data Distinguishing between shades can be difficult
Groupings are flexible Variations within the value set are not visible
Proportional Symbols Map
• The symbols on the map are drawn in proportion to the variable represented
• Usually, a circle or square is used but it could be an image
• Can be used to show a range of data, for example, population, wind farms and electricity they
generate, traffic or pedestrian flows
Strengths Limitations
Illustrates the differences between many places Not easy to calculate the actual value
Easy to read Time-consuming to construct
Positioning on a map may be difficult, particularly with
Data is specific to particular locations
larger symbols
Proportional Circles Map Showing GDP (Billion US$) across Europe .
Photographs
• Photographs can be taken to show different aspects of sample sites
• These can be annotated as part of the fieldwork analysis
Strengths Limitations
An accurate record at the time Not all photographs are relevant
Can be subjective and biased as student selects what is
Can represent things more clearly than numerical data
photographed
Can be used to show data collection techniques Photographs sometimes contain too much information
Can be used next to historical photographs to show
They are two dimensional so judging depth is difficult
changes over time
Helps recall key features
Field Sketches
• Should include location/site number, title and compass direction
• Includes the key features at a site
Strengths Limitations
Things can be left out of the sketch if they are not
The scale in the sketch may be inaccurate
relevant to the enquiry
Smaller important areas can be more detailed Important details may be missed
The sketch may contain inaccuracies which affect the
Gives a broad overview of the features analysis for example more litter than there actually was
at the site
Helps recall of key features
Maps
• An essential part of any fieldwork enquiry is to show the location of features and sample sites
• Maps can also be used to show relevant features such as amenities around the sample sites
Strengths Limitations
Size and scale of features/site can be accurately
The map may be out of date
measured
Key to show features around the sample sites Maps cannot show changes over time
Allows distribution of features to be shown accurately Bias may be introduced by highlighting certain features
