Avoid These Common Pitfalls When Presenting Data in Graphical Format

Mark Twain said, “there are lies, damn lies, and statistics”. When reporting statistics, there are a number of things that people can do to present the information in a way that suits their needs. These needs are not always objective fact. It Is important, then, that you double check the graphs and visual displays that are included in the reports you receive, as well as the other measures, to ensure that the information you receive is presented as neutrally as possible, so that you can make a decision based on solid data, rather than someone else’s biased viewpoint.

Some things to look out for:

Manipulated Axes:

Look at this first graph compared to the second:

You can see that the axis doesn’t start at 0, which makes the change look much larger than it really is

Inconsistent Axes:

Look at these two graphs:

Here, the axis doesn’t have consistent steps so it exaggerates the step.

Other issues with graphs include:

• Vertical scale is too big or too small.

• Vertical axis skips numbers

•  Vertical axis does not start at zero.

• Scale made in very small units to make graph look very big.

• Scale values or labels missing from the graph.

• Incorrect scale placed on the graph.

Avoiding these issues will make your data presentation look more professional, and you seem more trustworthy.