Lab Final Review - Data Presentation Guidelines Flashcards
When would you graph your data?
When you want to emphasize or illustrate a point you want to make
Should you always present individual data points?
No, when possible it is best to report averages
When should you insert error bars?
If multiple measurements of each condition were made and averages calculated. Error bars should be explained in the figure legend
When is it appropriate to use a bar graph?
When the data is discontinuous or qualitative
When is it necessary to use a line graph?
When the data is continuous - e.g. fractions are possible
How should you connect data points if there are erratic jumps due to sampling limitations?
You should not connect them literally, instead you should draw a smooth approximate line
On which axis should both the independent and dependent variable be plotted?
horizontal - independent
vertical - dependent
How should the axes be labeled?
With what variables they measure as well as the units in which they are expressed
Why should the scales on your graph begin at zero when possible?
So as not to over-dramatize the difference between the results being compared
What is considered an outlier in data?
data that decreases greater than 100%
Why is best to graph the most important comparisons on the same graph?
In order to facilitate comparison of it
When is it okay to use the word ‘significant’ when referring to differences on a graph?
Only when statistical significance has been determined via statistical analysis
Why is it important to plot values for negative controls?
It reveals the ease or difficulty with which hypothesized, or tested
What is the purpose of a figure legend?
To succinctly inform a reader that is not familiar with the experiment described in the graph, what its purpose was, what you concluded about that purpose and how you arrived at that conclusion
Why is good to calculate the percent change in data rather than the absolute change?
Because it corrects for individuals with widely disparate starting values
