How to Display Data- P3:The best method to convey a message from a piece of research in health is via a fi gure. The best advice that a statistician can give a researcher is to fi rst plot the data. Despite this, conventional statistics textbooks give only brief details on how to draw fi gures and display data. | 2 How to Display Data Figure Types of data. be categorisedintodistinct groups such as ethnic group or disease severity. Although categorical data may be coded numerically for example gender may be coded 1 for male and 2 for female these codes have no intrinsic numerical value it wouldbenonsen se tocalculate data can be dividediaOe elthaenocnnai or cabina l. NoménalSetaliaven a nataral ordering and caamples inclode emecotoue maritel stctusanO area of reel s dence. Binare Oata is tape cialsaUratraoryofnommaé Oale talleseseereal e only two poteibie vaSres dordgamnle male male yes no deaC data occurs todan there mm bccald to be a a ra at ar I oaderina of ihe duOa vaiue o such as bettse sgme worse giadriorbrcastcancaregO saulel clase. Quantitative dstacan ba ritOar sguataCar cantinuaui. Cat et daSaair also knownaldilgaaledeSuand rc filename un hee laeur wheothe deaa can be courOensuehastiac numbra el chiMeen Io afamUyOTtleenumbva of visits to a GP Os a yean Count Oete ara si an i C t Ou aategoriaul iata as thay can only takrdisetste whuSr numders. Uaneinueusdata ar data thatcsn be measuredend ttoycan rate ory ak e anlhe teals ae 111016X116 measured tUey arr limite doe l. balite toUu mi maaauacmant tnO eeemlOes include heigOt welaht aad bk od preetum. Whereto rtart When displaying information visually there are three questions one will find useftil to ask as a statlntg ponto Ik . Firstly and naos npotoanily is vital to have a clear idea about what is to be displayed for example is it important to nemdnsrrabaShaSSwa setterarOn haveaiaferent OlsSriOutions ot Introduction to data display 3 Box Useful questions to ask when considering how to display information What do you want to show What methods are availablefor this Is the methoh dioshs the best Would another have been better that they have differentmeanvalues Havingdedded what the main message is the next step istonxamme thamethodsavailalaleandtoselactan b .
