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Understanding a Basic Scatter DiagramPart of Series on Quality Systems Management Tools

Dr. Sharon L. Burton, DBA

Goal

The goal of this lesson is for users to understand the usage of a Scatter Diagram as a quality and business process improvement tool.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson users should be able to Articulate the usage of a scatter diagram Explain how to develop a scatter diagram Demonstrate the development of a scatter

diagram

What is a Scatter Diagram?

The scatter diagram is also known as: Scatter plot Scatter chart Scattergram

This tool is referred to as a plot or a mathematical diagram.

Purpose of the Scatter Diagram The purpose of the scatter diagram is to plot

relationships between multiple variables for a set of data in a single view. Data sets

X – horizontalY – vertical

The plots, which can be colorful, are known as cartesian coordinates.

Creation Time to Allot for the Scatter Diagram

From Start to Finish Allow 5 hours• Data Collection: 1-3 hours• Diagramming the Scatter Diagram: 1 hour• Walk through of Scatter Diagram with Stakeholders: 1

hour

How to Develop Scatter Diagram?

Gather pairs of data where a relationship is believed to exist

How to Develop Scatter Diagram? Construct a graph wherein the independent

variable on the horizontal axis and the dependent variable on the vertical axis

How to Develop Scatter Diagram?

BibliographyDoherty, M. E., & Anderson, R. B, (2009). Variation in scatterplot displays.

Behavior Research Methods, 41(1), 55-60. doi: 10.3758/BRM.41.1.55

Friendly, M., & Denis, D. (2005). The early origins and development of the scatterplot. Journal of the History of The Behavioral Sciences, 41(2), 103-130.

iSixSigma. (2016). Scatter Plot. Retrieved from https://www.isixsigma.com/dictionary/scatter-plot

Scatterplots. (n.d.) Scatterplots. Retrieved from http://mste.illinois.edu/courses/ci330ms/yousey/scatterinfor.html