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

Figure 8.7 shows how a stacked bar chart is more readable when irrelevant segments areeliminated and those kept are logically ordered and fully labeled.A grouped bar chart makes it easy for readers to compare parts of a whole, but difficult tocompare different wholes because they must do mental arithmetic. If you group bars becausethe segments are more important than the wholes, do this:Arrange groups of bars in a logical order; if possible put bars of similar size next to oneanother (order bars within groups in the same way).Label groups with the number for the whole, either above each group or below the labelson the bottom.Most data that fit a bar chart can also be represented in a pie chart. It is a popular choice inmagazines, tabloids, and annual reports, but it's harder to read than a bar chart, and it invitesmisinterpretation because readers must mentally compare proportions of segments whose sizeis hard to judge in the first place. Most researchers consider them amateurish. Use bar chartsinstead.LINE GRAPHS. Because a line graph emphasizes trends, readers must see a clear image tointerpret it correctly. To create a clear image, do the following:Choose the variable that makes the line go in the direction, up or down, that supportsyour point. If the good news is a reduction (down) in high school dropouts, you can moreeffectively represent the same data as an increase in retention (up).Plot more than six lines on one graph only if you cannot make your point in any otherway.Do not depend on different shades of gray to distinguish lines, as in figure 8.8.www.itpub.net