How to Display Data- P4: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. | Introduction to data display 7 Table or graph A fundamental point to consider is whether to useatableorgraphfsee Box . We defineatablegsa display of numbers in a reelangnlar grid and a graph or chart as a picture in which the numbers are represented by points or lines. Ploiting data is a useftd first stage to any analysis and will show extrema observations togethea with my disdernibls pattsms. Id tddi-tion the reldPvesgtm of aategorict tttsasats is we ioadiagrsm tbtm shard or pie chard igem in a Sable itipplv eui ittefitl as they cam be aosimilgtee quickly anti are patUPsilatty Irel pin I ieUiese ytegeyOing infaemgSton io an audience. TaU Pea sen be uteful foe dieulaying iniosmaiioii agoul mans variables at onas white gaeoPs sao loe usefill for tdtowing moltipis obtsrva-tions on groiiws er iplsodusft. Abheoueh fiiasr arg so fnsd gasp fasS atPet about when tv ig e a grasd woP when to usa a labie iti the gf o report or a ptper st de uften gesi so usatab0es ts aisithiits der can scrui-inise the numPare girecpiy. TUtSs for a hdk or preshotations Fionre l id wv uIO be a good melhad os diapha ing ihe dotu Hcmevgr for a priiitvd regod oe paper Table convoyitds detamore citre tig. Box Graph or table Graph Table Usually better in presentations Can often shnw all the data Usually show only a few variables Often better in papers Usually can oaly show summaries Better for multiple variables Software No single package can draw all the graphs necessary for displaying data. Simple graphs ear drawn m Bxml However you should be aware that some of the default settings are not ideal see Chapter 2 . For more compleu grapSs owy oS the major statidtscol paekegss - 0TATA HPSS or SAS - are uieSul. 0-Ptis ig pe rtitohriy good for superimpoamg seveaai graphs into gsingiefiaure In yeswingrhe gi sgit ios tlis bsok t sariety of packages wtre ussduahhoiigh mílnpwera Poawn io thetpaoialisi ackage Sigmaplct ystil goiawhrs Inc 24s V-tta s redt e pp
