1.1. Charts and describing a chart
a. Charts
A chart is a graphical representation of data, in which "the data is represented
by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie
chart". A chart can represent tabular numeric data, functions or some kinds of
qualitative structure and provides different info.
The term "chart" as a graphical representation of data has multiple meanings:
A data chart is a type of diagram or graph, that organizes and represents a
set of numerical or qualitative data.
Maps that are adorned with extra information for some specific purpose
are often known as charts, such as a nautical chart or aeronautical chart.
Other domain specific constructs are sometimes called charts, such as the
chord chart in music notation or a record chart for album popularity.
Charts are often used to ease understanding of large quantities of data and the
relationships between parts of the data. Charts can usually be read more quickly
than the raw data that they are produced from. They are used in a wide variety of
fields, and can be created by hand (often on graph paper) or by computer using a
charting application. Certain types of charts are more useful for presenting a
given data set than others. For example, data that presents percentages in
different groups (such as "satisfied, not satisfied, unsure") are often displayed in
a pie chart, but may be more easily understood when presented in a horizontal
bar chart. On the other hand, data that represents numbers that change over a
period of time (such as "annual revenue from 1990 to 2000") might be best
shown as a line chart.
b. Describing a chart
In textbooks at upper secondary school, there are bar charts and pie charts so I
only mention two these types. These types of charts are usually used for
comparison purposes (unlike line charts, which describe changes).
When you write about a bar chart it is important to look first at the Chart Title.
This tells you what information the chart displays and you can use this
information in your description.
Then look at the X and Y axes. The titles of these axes sometimes give you
information you can use in your description. It is important also to look at the
UNITS.
Bar charts show similarities and differences. When describing these charts you
need to make comparisons. You also need to group together any columns which
have broad similarities.
To write a short description of the chart ask yourself (and answer!) the
following questions:
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