Data Analysis and Visualization Basics

Study Notes

Line charts: evenly distributed categories on horizontal axis, value data on vertical axis, ideal for showing trends in data at equal intervals
Pie and doughnut charts: data arranged in one column or row on a worksheet, show relationship of parts to a whole, pie charts only one data series, doughnut charts can contain multiple data series
Bar charts: data arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet, illustrate comparisons among individual items, organize categories vertically, values horizontally
Area charts: data arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet, show change over time and total value, sum of values and relationship of parts to a whole
Scatter/bubble charts: data arranged in columns and rows on a worksheet, show relationships between two sets of data, combine x and y values into single data points, bubble charts add third column for bubble size
Stock charts: data arranged in a specific order on a worksheet, show fluctuations in stock prices or other data, organize in High, Low, Close order
Surface charts: data arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet, find optimum combinations between two sets of data, colors and patterns indicate areas of same value range
Radar charts: data arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet, compare the aggregate values of several data series, each series plotted as a line from the origin to the data point
Treemap charts: hierarchical view of data, easy comparison of different levels of categorization, display categories by color and proximity, effective for comparing proportions within a hierarchy
Sunburst charts: ideal for displaying hierarchical data, each level represented by one ring, effective at showing how one ring is broken into its contributing pieces
Box and whisker charts: show distribution of data into quartiles, highlight mean and outliers, boxes have lines extending vertically called "whiskers" indicating variability
Waterfall charts: show a running total of financial data as values are added or subtracted, useful for understanding the effect of a series of positive and negative values, columns color coded
Funnel charts: show values across multiple stages in a process
Combo charts: combine two or more chart types, make data easy to understand, especially when data is widely varied, shown with a secondary axis
Map charts: compare values and show categories across geographical regions.