Types of Graphs & Charts
Graphs are designed to represent statistical data: they can be done manually or with the help of softwares such as Excel (scroll down for demo videos). Charts usually represent processes: you can easily create flow-charts with Bubbl.us or CmapTools.
Bar Graphs
Bar charts are useful to compare data, or to notice trends over time. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to view demo videos on how to use Excel.
Compound Graphs
Bar graphs where each bar is subdivided into several segments to
display additional information (e.g. comparison of wealth repartition in different countries)
Bi-Polar Graphs
Bi-polar graphs are used to compare two variables side-by-side (e.g. population pyramids).
Pie Charts
Graphs in which the arc length of each sector (and consequently its
central angle and area), is proportional to the quantity it represents. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to view demo videos on how to use Excel.
Line Graphs
Line graphs display the data using a series of points connected by straight line segments
Scatter Graphs
Scatter graphs display the data using a collection of points using two axis which represent two variables (a "line of best fit" can then be drawn in case of a trend or correlation).
Logarithmic Graphs
Graphs using a logarithmic scale to represent a rapidly changing variable
over a wide expanse by compressing certain sections of the graph.
Flowcharts
Diagrams which represents a process, showing the steps as boxes of
various kinds, and their order by connecting these with arrows. You can easily create flow-charts with Bubbl.us or CmapTools.
Kite Diagrams
Kite diagrams are used to display several observations made at each of the points in a transect and provide a good visual indication of any spatial change. Each kite usually represent a category (e.g. type of plant, etc) plotted along the transect line. A line in the background can indicate another variable (such as altitude, temperature, etc).
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Triangular Graphs
Graphs displaying three variables as a collection of points, using an
equilateral triangle with each side representing 100% of the variable. Click here to download a blank triangular graph or to see an example of how to use such a graph.
Rose Diagrams
Polar
area diagrams, similar to pie charts except for the fact that the depth of each
section varies to represent. Rose diagrams are actually circular bar graphs.
Radar Charts
Radar charts are used to display multivariate data in the form of a 2-dimensional chart of three or more quantitative variables represented on axes starting from the same point. See this example.
Development Diamonds
Experts at the World Bank use so-called "development
diamonds" (a simple kind of "radar chart") to portray relationships among four socioeconomic indicators for a
given country relative to the averages for that country’s income group
(low-income, lower-middle-income, upper-middle-income, or high-income). Ex: life
expectancy at birth, gross primary (or secondary) enrollment, access to safe
water, and GNP per capita are presented, one on each axis, then connected with
bold lines to form a polygon. The shape of this “diamond” can easily be
compared to the reference diamond (usually a colored diamond), which represents
the average indicators for the country’s income group, each indexed to 100
percent. Any point outside the reference diamond shows a value better than the
group average, while any point inside signals below-average achievement.
Boxplot ("Box-and-Whiskers") Graphs
Boxplot (or "box-and-whisker") graphs are a convenient way of graphically depicting groups of numerical data through their five-number summaries: the smallest observation (sample minimum), lower quartile (Q1), median (Q2), upper quartile (Q3), and largest observation (sample maximum). A boxplot may also indicate which observations, if any, might be considered outliers. Go to the Inter-Quartile Range page under the "Fieldwork" tab to learn how to create a box-and-whiskers" graph on Excel.
Lorenz Curves
Graphs developed
by Lorenz in 1905 for representing inequality of the wealth distribution, and which
can be considered as a measure of social inequality. It is often used to
represent income distribution, where it shows for the bottom x% of
households, what percentage y% of the total income they have.The
percentage of households is plotted on the x-axis, the percentage of
income on the y-axis.
Climographs
Diagrams representing precipitations (mm) as bars, and temperatures
(celcius) as a line, using two vertical axis, and the 12 months of the
year as the horizontal axis. The scale must be P = 2T. Months during
which the temperature line goes over the precipitation bars are defined
as “drought” months.
Transects Graphs
Transects are commonly used to graph measurements sampled at regular intervals along a line (e.g. land use, building densities, plant species). The results can be mapped and/or represented using, for example, a histogram.
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Excel Demo Videos
You can use Excel to easily create bar graphs and pie charts:
You can use Excel to easily create bar graphs and pie charts:
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