LESSON 4: Organization and Presentation of Data

Data can be presented in one of the three ways:

• as text;
• in tabular form; or
• in graphical form.

Methods of presentation must be determined according to the data format, the method of analysis to be used,
and the information to be emphasized. Inappropriately presented data fail to clearly convey information to readers and
reviewers.

Even when the same information is being conveyed, different methods of presentation must be employed
depending on what specific information is going to be emphasized. A method of presentation must be chosen after
carefully weighing the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of presentation.

Textual Presentation of Data

Text is the main method of conveying information as it is used to explain results and trends, and provide
contextual information. Data are fundamentally presented in paragraphs or sentences.

Text can be used to provide interpretation or emphasize certain data. If quantitative information to be conveyed
consists of one or two numbers, it is more appropriate to use written language than tables or graphs. If more data are
to be presented, or other information such as that regarding data trends are to be conveyed, a table or a graph would
be more appropriate. By nature, data take longer to read when presented as texts and when the main text includes a
long list of information, readers and reviewers may have difficulties in understanding the information.

Table Presentation of Data

Tables, which convey information that has been converted into words or numbers in rows and columns, have
been used for nearly 2,000 years. Anyone with a sufficient level of literacy can easily understand the information
presented in a table. Tables are the most appropriate for presenting individual information, and can present both
quantitative and qualitative information.

1. Frequency Distribution Table - this is a table which shows data arranged into different classes, and the
number of cases which fall into each class.

Table 1.0
Distribution of Students in ELJ
Memorial College
According to Year Level

Year Level Number of Students

Freshmen 350
Sophomore 300
Junior 250
Senior 200
N = 1,100
Source: ELJMC Registrar
 2. Contingency Table - This table shows the data enumerated by cell. One type of such table is the “r by c”(r x c)
where the columns refer to “c” samples and the rows refer to “r” choices or alternatives.

Table 2.0
The Contingency Table for the Opinions of Viewers
on the New TV Program

Choice/Sample Men Women Children Total

Like the program 50 56 45 151
Indifferent 23 16 12 51
Do not like the program 43 55 40 138
Total 116 127 97 340

Graphical Presentation Of Data

Some readers find graphical presentation of data easier to comprehend than when data are presented in tabular
form. A graph adds life and beauty to one’s work, but more than this, it helps facilitate comparison and interpretation
without going through the numerical data.
1. Bar Chart - A graph represented by either vertical or horizontal rectangles whose bases represent the class
intervals and whose heights represent the frequencies.

2. Histogram - A graph represented by vertical or horizontal rectangles whose bases are the class marks and
whose heights are the frequencies. It is used for continuous variables.
3. Frequency Polygon - This is the line version of the histogram. It is a line graph whose bases are the class marks
and whose heights are the frequencies. It is used for continuous variables.

4. Pie Chart - This is a circle graph showing the proportion of each class through the percentage frequency.