Statistical/Data Presentation Tools Descriptive statistics enable us to understand data through summary values and graphical presentations.

Summary values not only include the average, but also the spread, median, mode, range, and standard deviation. It is important to look at summary statistics along with the data set to understand the entire picture, as the same summary statistics may describe very different data sets. Descriptive statistics can be illustrated in an understandable fashion by presenting them graphically using statistical and data presentation tools. When creating graphic displays, keep in mind the following questions:

What am I trying to communicate? Who is my audience? What might prevent them from understanding this display? Does the display tell the entire story? Several types of statistical/data presentation tools exist, including: (a) charts displaying frequencies (bar, pie, and Pareto charts, (b) charts displaying trends (run and control charts), (c) charts displaying distributions (histograms), and (d) charts displaying associations (scatter diagrams). Different types of data require different kinds of statistical tools. There are two types of data. Attribute data are countable data or data that can be put into categories: e.g., the number of people willing to pay, the number of complaints, percentage who want blue/percentage who want red/percentage who want yellow. Variable data are measurement data, based on some continuous scale: e.g., length, time, cost. Choosing Data Display Tools To Show Frequency of occurance: Simple percentages or comparisons of magnitude Use Bar chart Pie chart Pareto chart Trends over time Line graph Run chart Distribution: Variation not related to Histograms Forty or more measurements (not necessarily in time (distributions) chronological order, variable data) Association: Looking for a correlation Scatter diagram Forty or more paired measurements (measures of between two things both things of interest, variable data) Measurements taken in chronological order (attribute or variable data can be used) Data Needed Tallies by category (data can be attribute data or variable data divided into categories)

Using Graphs and Tables on Presentation Slides When presenting ideas that include references to data, it can be helpful to make the point using a graph or table. These visual methods can make the point much stronger than simply describing the data. While they can be powerful methods, they also have the potential to ruin a presentation if they convey the wrong message or they confuse the audience. Appropriate use of graphs and tables is one way to enhance the message you are delivering. Graph Types There are five basic types of graphs that are used most frequently. There are more complex types that are used for specific purposes, usually technical in nature, which will not be discussed here because they would rarely be used by most of us. A graph is really a graphical representation of one or more sets of data. A set of related data is referred to as a data series. For example, the sales of product X each year for the past five years would be one data series. Here are the five basic graph types: Area - This graph shows the relationship of different parts to a whole over time. One example would be to show the breakdown of the total organization profit by product line over the last five years. This graph can show many (4-6) data series at a time. Column - This graph shows the differences in individual values vertically. It can be used to show the differences between values in different time periods or other data groupings. Examples include showing the total number of phone calls each month for the past year or the number of orders received by each order method (fax, phone, email, web, walk-in) over the last month. This graph works best with fewer (1-3) data series. Bar - This graph shows the differences in individual values horizontally. It is not a good choice for showing values in different time periods. It works better for showing the results of one or two data series. One example would be to show the popularity of the top eight answers to a survey question. Line - This graph shows values at different points in time. It is usually best to have equal time intervals along the horizontal axis of the graph. One example would be to show the trend in the number of customer service calls handled by the five offices each month over the last year. A line graph can display many (4-6) data series quite well. Pie - This graph shows the proportions of each segment of a whole. This graph only handles one data series. An example would be to show the proportion of funding provided to the organization by each level of government in the past year. Key Graph Elements Colors Make sure that you set the background color and the color of each data series so that there is enough contrast to be seen clearly by the audience. These colors should also be consistent with the overall color scheme of the slides so that the graph does not look out of place. Depth The depth of the graph refers to whether the graph is 2-D or 3-D. There is almost no value ot the third dimension, and I suggest graphs be 2-D. Axes All of the above graph types except the pie graph have two axes. One is for the data values and the other is for the time scale or how the data is separated. It is important to set the scale of the axes to be appropriate to the data being shown. Also, make sure that axis labels that indicate the values along each axis are big enough to be clearly read when the graph is displayed. If the axes are not clear, the graph may be misinterpreted because it is not clear to the audience what the difference between the data is. Data Labels When you need to more clearly indicate the data value in a graph, you can use a data label. This is a text box that contains the actual data value and it should be placed close to the graphical representation of the data point, whether it is at the end of a bar or column, above a data point on a line graph or inside the pie section in a pie graph. Make sure that the text is big enough to be read clearly and that the text color has enough contrast with the color underneath it. Title The title of the graph should focus on the interpretation of the data, not the data itself. Remember that we are using a graph to help make a point, and the title will be a key factor in the audience interpreting the graph properly. For

example, instead of a title like Sales 1996-2001, you could say Sales Up 42% 96-01. There is usually no need for a separate tile on a graph since the slide headline will communicate the meaning of the graph. Legend If you have more than one data series on a graph, you should add text labels to indicate each series instead of using a legend on the graph. Research shows that a legend distracts the audience by forcing them to split their attention between the data in the graph and the explanantory text in the legend, reducing their understanding of the graph. Instead, put any explanatory text in the graph using text boxes.