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When it comes to graphing, you could use the phrase, “The devil is in the details.” This lovely phrase means that things that may seen simple are not. This is true when it comes to graphing. Graphing is easy. Labeling the axes, arranging the bars, getting the Y axisSecond cervical vertebra; has the odontoid process (dens) for pivoting head (“no” motion). to stop displaying decimal points, and adding data labels are all elements of graphing for which you have to make decisions. These are the details imposed upon you by software such a Microsoft’s Excel or Google Sheets. Accept this and you will be successful.
There are certain decisions that must be made even before you type the data into the computer. Humans are able to be proactive about these aspects of graphing. Computers are not.
Take this graph, made with Microsoft’s Excel. What is this showing? Shoe width versus shoe size? What happened to B? I can’t make out the bar for D, is it something like 1.75 or 1.80? Is the bar for A supposed to be 3 or just a tad more than 3? This graph is poorly labeled, leaving the reader to make many assumptions about the topic. These are the seemingly simple details of which I previously spoke: A graph title, axes titles, data labels, etc…
With labels on this graph, the reader is no longer left to thumb through previous pages to find the information. There is no data table needed, because each of those columns has the value on them. I can now clearly see those values of 1.8 and 3.1 grams for venison and pork (respectively). The x-axis includes an overall label, letting me know that these animal-type names along the bottom refer to types of meat, not a living animal. This graph even has a figure number assigned to it so that Figure 1: Rendered Weight of Fat from Meat Type can be specifically referred to in its accompanying text. Don’t let the reader make any assumptions. Tell them what you want them to see with your labels.
List of terms
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