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A-manual-for-writers-of-research-papers-theses-and-dissertations

A-manual-for-writers-of-research-papers-theses-and-dissertations

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Choose the graphic <strong>for</strong>m that best achieves the effect you intend, not the first one that comesto mind.How many choices you should consider depends on your experience. If you're new toquantitative <strong>research</strong>, limit your choices to basic tables, bar charts, <strong>and</strong> line graphs. Yourcomputer s<strong>of</strong>tware may <strong>of</strong>fer more choices, but ignore those that you aren't familiar with.If you are doing advanced <strong>research</strong>, readers will expect you to use the graphic <strong>for</strong>m bestsuited to your point <strong>and</strong> your kind <strong>of</strong> data, <strong>and</strong> to draw from a larger range <strong>of</strong> choices. In thatcase, consult table 8.7, which describes the rhetorical uses <strong>of</strong> other common <strong>for</strong>ms. But youmay have to consider more creative ways <strong>of</strong> representing data if you are writing a dissertationor article in a field that routinely displays complex relationships in large data sets.8.3 Design Tables <strong>and</strong> FiguresComputer programs now let you create graphics so dazzling that you might be tempted to letyour s<strong>of</strong>tware make your design decisions. But readers don't care how elaborate your graphicslook if they are confusing, misleading, or irrelevant to your point. You have to decide how tomake them clear, focused, <strong>and</strong> relevant, then set your s<strong>of</strong>tware to reflect that judgment. (See

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