Step 6: Display Data
Would it be best to present your data numerically in a table? Would it be better to depict your findings in a bar, line, or pie chart? Is it possible to display your data spatially in a map, showing the differences between areas? Here are some tips to help you better communicate your findings.
Tables
are a very organized way to display data. They are most commonly easy
to read and understand.
Bar graphs, as shown directly below, are best for displaying the differences
between two or more measurable and comparable objects.
A line graph is best for displaying the changes in one or more variable
as a whole over time. For example, suppose that you want to illustrate
the daily average temperature for the month of March. Or, as shown above,
the population change of a neighborhood, ward, or city by decade over
the last fifty years could be easily displayed in this type of chart.
A pie chart is best for showing the portions of parts of a whole. Helps to visually determine how the parts can be compared to one another in regards to size. For example, if a family desired to graphically display the makeup of its monthly expenditures amongst rent, utilities, groceries, and other, a pie chart would most likely be the most suitable means of doing so.
Maps showing how data varies in regards to location may also be an effective way to display your data. Maps of the various geographic areas can be found online and printed, or saved as a picture file on your computer and manipulated in a program like Paint. Websites that allow users to map data can be found in the data and statistics resources quick reference table posted in the Cleveland Neighborhood Statistics section of NeighborhoodLink.
