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A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Turning Data into Information

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Slide 12 of 15

In creating good visual displays, it it important to:

  1. Make sure the labels, titles and values on the visual display are so complete and clear that the display is understandable, independent of the narrative of the report
  2. Date every display.
  3. Include the author's name on each display.
  4. Identify the specific source of the data presented on the display.
  5. Wherever possible, provide your audience with a context for the data and points of comparison. For example, you might discuss how the average of a particular class on some given task compared with the average for the entire district or how the same group of students performed in previous years. Stem-and-leaf plots are a particularly useful and user-friendly data analysis technique.