INLS261 Tools for Information Literacy

[starters] <previous session] [next session>

[spreadsheets] [formulas & functions] [charting data] [database tools]
[graphical data display] [thoughts on data display] [next time]

Graphical Data Display

Charts are a useful way to illustrate data shown in worksheets and Excel has several different types of charts to select from, depending on the sort of information you are using and the effect you wish to convey in the graphic

column charts compare values across categories
- use a column chart or a bar chart to show comparisons

[column chart types]

bar charts are essentially the same thing, but oriented on the horizontal axis
- Excel asserts they are the best chart type for comparing multiple values

[bar chart types]

line charts compare continuous data over time against a common scale and are ideal for showing trends
- use a line chart or an area chart to show trends or changeover a period of time

[line chart types]

pie charts display percentages and are used to compare different parts of the same whole
- don't use a pie chart to show the relationship or proportion or parts to a whole, unless you only want your chart to be metaphoric

[pie chart types]

area charts emphasize differences between several sets of data over a period of time

[area chart types]

scatter charts compare pairs of values, depicting them as sets of X and Y coordinates

[scatter chart types]

specialized displays - for example, Florence Nightingale's statistical charts

Creating Charts

You start a chart by selecting the data (the source data) you want to chart. When doing so, keep the following points in mind:

Excel will use the column and row headings as the axis titles and legend (you can select which is which)
if your chart includes a total row, you most likely will not include this in the charted data. Just include the individual data series
in some charts, you can chart only one series--that means you can select only one set of data to chart

Charting Tips

you can create the chart on a new worksheet or within the current worksheet, depending on how you want to display the data
change colored data series to patterns and shades of gray if you plan to use the chart in a print document

Using the Chart tool

Select the data array to be charted
- go to the worksheet where the data is located and select the appropriate data array
  - NOTE: you usually do not want to select "Totaled" cells, columns, or rows
Select the Insert ribbon to see your chart options

[Excel 2007 insert chart ribbon]

The tool will place the selected chart type on the same worksheet. You may wish to change this by moving the chart location to its own sheet.

[Excel 2007 chart tools ribbon]

[move chart dialog box]

[an Excel chart on its own worksheet]

to work on making the chart look and display as you wish it to, right click to reveal the chart editing options

[right click to reveal chart editing options]

you have many formatting options, depending on the part of the chart that you select
Chart areas include:
- Chart area
- Plot area
- Data series
- Chart title
- Legend
- Axis
- Category axis title
- Value axis title
- and more depending on what options were selected in creating the chart.

[format chart area dialog box] [format axis dialog box]

[format plot area dialog box] [format legend dialog box]

you can also do more specific editing by right clicking and selecting the data to edit

Chart Formatting Things to know...when fine-tuning your chart

When you put your cursor over an area of the chart, a tooltip appears. The tooltips provides chart information. Each of these areas can be edited/formatted. If you put the cursor over data point in chart, the tooltip will tell you the value of the data point.

you may wish to add things to the chart that do not exist in the underlying data array
- you can add arrows, free-floating text, etc., using drawing toolbar
  - make sure chart is selected before you add the arrow, for example, or it won't be put on the chart

[adding objects to the chart]

you can chart data on two axes to compare two values

if you want to plot two values on the same grid, you can choose to have two differing axes if you use two differing data types

you will need to change the series to a different chart type

and then work to format two axes to depict two data sets on the same chart

which will allow you to have two separate scales on a single grid.

But you are not limited to the ribbon

you can make your own charts using the tools available. Jon Peltier offers a suggestion.
or you can follow Microsoft's advice

© R.E. Bergquist