Data Presentation & Writing Skills QR

7/26/2019 Data Presentation & Writing Skills QR

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Data PresentationData Presentation

& Writing Skills& Writing Skills

6CN010 - Dissertation6CN010 - Dissertation

Adapted from D.E. Searle & S.Sures


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Presenting data

Raw data

Normally unorganised and difficult to interpret

Summaries of the raw data help:

!einfor"e te message

#ake it easier to understand

Choosing and using the best method of presentation is importantfor effective communication


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$rapi"al aids

Charts and illustrations for presenting data

Use to reduce number of words needed in explanation

elp to reinforce the meaning of the words

!a"e presentation of data more effective and efficient

Should help prevent misunderstandings

$rapi" aids % "onsider

#s a visual aid needed$

%hich is the best to use$

ow complex or simple should it be$

ow will it be introduced and explained$


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$rapi" aids % Ad'antages

&ains attention if done well

'rovides maximum information as (uic"ly as possible

Speeds comprehension

Relieves monotony of solid text

Conveys impression of overall trends and tendencies elps reader pic" out specific figures and see relationships

ighlights differences


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(a)les

Simplest form of presenting data as a visual aid

)ata is presented in rows and columns

Unnecessary data can be discarded

Comparisons can be made relatively easily

D.E. Searle & S.Sures

*ables

Presentation of statisti"al data

% ad'antages

)isplay large amounts of data in small space Comparisons and contrasts easily seen

+abel rows and columns, clearly and concisely

#nclude-exclude lines-bold-highlights etc


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D.E. Searle & S.Sures


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1. Num)ering (a)les .very table must be numbered/

*able 0, *able 1, etc/

)o not use *ableI, *able 2, etc/

Presenting (a)les *1+

,.(a)le (itles

.very table must have a title/

2 good title presents the name of the ma3or variable orvariables and the type of analysis/

Eample (a)le 1 re/uen" of attendan"e in "lass


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. 2eadings 3itin te ta)le

eadings tell the reader what variables are beingpresented and establish the organisation of thetable/

4ariable4ariable !ean!ean S)S)

2ge 5/67 0/58

Presenting (a)les *,+

4. (a)le 5od

*he table body contains the data and-or numbers

Round numbers to improve readability 9whole-one )'-two )'


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. (a)le Notes$eneral: 'rovide information about the table as a whole,

including the meaning of symbols or abbreviations/

Spe"ifi": Refer to the content of a particular cell/

Pro)a)ilit: #ndicate the outcome of significance tests/

EampleEample

Note.;rom National >/

a/ *hese cases did not provide valid answers/? p @ /85

Presenting (a)les *+


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Continuous or Dis"rete data7

Continuous A every point on a line graph is valid e/g/ speed,acceleration, population growth, resource usage, sales, plottedagainst timeB or conversion graphs e/g/ oC to o;, or to D/9graph

Discrete A i/e/ not directly related to other items of informationbeing plotted: it occurs in distinct steps e/g/ children per family,population in one country compared with another at the sametime/ 9chart

Charts&raphs


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Continuous data 8 $!AP2S *1+

Simple grap

+ine to show increases anddecreases

Slope of line shows intensity

of activity and trends overtime

#ultiple grap

Shows trends of morethan one thing

Use of solid, dotted and

bro"en lines Use of colour


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Continuous data *,+

Di'ided9"ompound grap 4alues of total and its parts

2lternate sections shaded orcoloured

S"atter grap *s"attergram+ Single dot plotted against

scales on 1 axes

!ay be independentvariables

Not 3oined by a line EscatterF gives the message

Use in statistical correlations

Points to remem)er

#nclude and emphasisea Gero on vertical scale

Carefully choose andindicate scales

2nnotate the axes

2istograms

'atterns behind large volumesof figures

#nformation divided into

EintervalsF 4ertical scale H Efre(uencyF

Columns do not need samewidth


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$rap "onstru"tion8good pra"ti"e *1+ +abel each axis with a full description of the variable it represents

including units 9if appropriate/

)o not EcrowdF the axis with scale values 9approximately IA6 ma3orintervals/

)o not plot data points on the axes themselves/

Choose an appropriate resolution for the graph/ #f the data isremote from the origin then do not include the origin/

*itle should be meaningful and brief9but full


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+egend should be informative and comprehensive

)ifferentiate lines primarily by style and-or thic"ness 9then bycolour if necessary

.mphasis the Gero line by ma"ing it heavier than any otherlines/

Carefully choose and clearly indicate the scalesB the scalechosen can distort the figures/ 9see next slide

2nnotate the axes

$rap "onstru"tion8good pra"ti"e *,+


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$rap "onstru"tion8good pra"ti"e *+

Small 'erti"al s"ale:arge 'erti"al s"ale


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Dis"rete and non-"ontinuous data *1+

5ar "arts

Juic" comparisons

Can predict trends

Di'ided *"omponent+ )ar "art Kars divided into parts to

compare constituents as wellas the total value

.ach part shaded-coloured

and "ey provided

#ultiple )ar "arts

Compare any differentitems

Kars set in group

Population pramid Koth age and sex

structure of population

Kuilding up the agegroups

!ale vs/ female &rouped by ages e/g/ 0,

5, 08 years

Compare shape of twosides


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loating )ar "arts

Kars EfloatF above orbelow a Gero line

2 balance line can also

be plotted

Points for )ar "arts

2lways include Gero

Keware EfalseF Geros

Kars not short andwide, nor long andnarrow

Separate bars by spaces


Pie "arts


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Pi"torial "art

2daptation of bar chart

Uses symbols torepresent the sub3ect

Symbols should beuniform in siGe andappearance

;or nonAcomplex data

Statisti"al maps

Shows (uantitativeinformationgeographically

#ncludes dot or pin maps



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Presentation of Num)ers *1+Epressing Num)ers as igures

$eneral !ule$eneral !uleUse figures to express numbers 08 and above, and words toexpress numbers below 08/

Correct #ncorrect

2 11 mm line a twentyAtwo millimetre line

*hree out of five groups M out of 5 groups

*wo 1 bills 1 1/88 bills, 1 1 dollar bills

E"eptionsE"eptionsNumbers that represent statistics, percentages, fractions,decimal numbers, ratios, percentiles and (uartiles arerepresented as figures/ 2 mean of M/5I , *able 0


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$eneral !ule$eneral !ule

Use words to express numbers below 08 that do not representprecise measurements and that are not grouped for comparisonwith numbers 08 and above/

Correct #ncorrect

2bout seven or eight about 7 or >


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Presentation of Num)ers *+Com)ining igures and Words to Epress Num)ers

$eneral !ule$eneral !uleUse a combination of figures and words to express rounded largenumbers and bac"AtoAbac" modifiers/

Correct #ncorrect

2bout M thousand about three thousand

2 net loss of 0 billion a net loss of oneAbillion dollars


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Additional "e"klists - general #s it numbered$

)oes it have a title$ #s it referred to in the text$

#s it explained-discussed in the text$

#s it well presented and clear$

#s all the information necessary$ 2re headings-scales-labels etc included$

Additional "e"klists - ta)le )oes each column have a clear title and the correct units$

)o all values have consistent and appropriate accuracy$

9i/e/ No of decimal points

2re all columns necessary$


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Additional "e"klists 8 graps9"arts

2re the parameters on the correct axes$

2re axes labelled correctly$

2re the axes and scales drawn so that:A tere is enoug spa"e for titles and la)els- te grap is not "ompressed on eiter ais$

2re different points and lines distinguishable$ 9not

everyone sees in colour/


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Additional "e"klists 8 diagrams9potos

)oes it show what is needed and give no more$ 2re scale, labels and "ey given if needed$

2re photos of sufficient (uality$ 9beware of images from web pagesthey are usually low resolution i/e/ 75 )'#, typically M88)'#minimum


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Writing Skills - good pra"ti"e *1+

%rite in the *#R) person not the first 9i/e/ donFt use E#F,this is generally not appropriate for technical -scientificreports/

2void sarcasm, humour, irony, levity or satire/

*ry not to use slang, vulgarisms or regionalisms/ %here possible attempt to write in short sentences,approximately 18 words maximum 9this should result ina more concise and focused writing style


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Use the =>SSprinciple 9=eep >t Short and Simpleavoid EpaddingF

2void a patronising or pompous manner in yourwriting

%rite in the past tense


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Dissertation presentation *1+

%ord processed Use 2rial 00 for main text

Space the dissertation, do not crowd the pages/ #f there are largenumbers of tables and graphs, place them in the appendix

.nsure proper use of paragraphs/ +arge bloc"s of text are

difficult to read/

'lace a double or single line gap between paragraphs/

+eave clear margins/

)o not mix fonts, a maximum of two is acceptable 9for text and

for titles for graphs, tables photographs


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.nsure all pages are numbered/ )o not include unnecessary graphics or pictures, which are not

referred to in the report/

;ully 3ustify the text 9i/e/ e(ual margins on each side of the text

.nsure images are of good (uality, have a figure number and

title/

;ew tables, or if needed for explanation, could go into the bodyof the main text/

+arge data sets or a large number of graphs may be moreappropriate in the appendix of a report

*ext in tables does not contribute to the word count

Dissertation presentation *,+


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Editing & proof reading

READ YOUR WORK AGAIN !

GET SOMEBODY ELSE TO READ IT !

CHECK THAT YOU HAVE YOU MET OR

ANSWERED ALL THE OBJECTIVE

Editing Read through without stopping spelling-meaning-titles-format !ar" doubtful passages as you go

!a"e corrections once fully read through

;inal chec"sT/Wen ou tink ou a'e finised

inal stage +ast minute alterations before printing allow for printing time

and in 9get a receipt


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Novice writers find it difficult to start/ %ith many reasonsfor their failure to put pen to paper/

.ven when finally seated, diversions appear:

ma"e the coffee,

sharpen the pencil,

go to the bathroom,

chec" more literature,

Remember that you are never EreadyF to writeB writing issomething you must ma"e a conscious decision to do andthen discipline yourself to follow it through/

*#!. !2N2&.!.N* #S 4#*2+

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Data Presentation & Writing Skills QR