Creating Graphs: Classic Mistakes The following slides each contain a graph.

These graphs have a variety of errors: How many can you spot?

Remember that the principles of constructing graphs are the same whether you are using them in a presentation or in a written report…however, in scientific reports colours are NOT generally used, whereas in a presentation it may be useful to use colours – but this needs careful planning!

Creating Graphs: Classic Mistakes To start you off, the graph on the following slide has numerous errors – see how many you can identify…….

Now check your ideas with the answers provided on slide 4… Now work through the remaining slides to see how many more errors in the graphs presented you can find…..

And remember that colours on graphs should only be used in oral presentations…..

Example: How many errors?

Mean Numbers of Individuals F r e q u e n c y 200 150 100 50 0 1999 2000 Year 2001 2002 Group 1 group 2 GROUP 3

What Were the Errors?

•

Graph is too small (and poorly positioned)

•

Title is uninformative

•

y-axis label is positioned incorrectly

•

No error bars given

•

Inappropriate scale on y-axis

•

Non-standard format of text (figure legend)

•

Poor use of colours (red & green!)

Now try and spot the errors on the following graphs……….

Old Dogs Learn New Trick!

30 20 10 0 90 80 70 60 50 40 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Dog A Dog B Dog C

Time to Learn New Trick

120 100 80 60 40 20 0 0 1 2 3 Individual 4 5 Expt 1 Expt2 EXPT3

Experimental Results

120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1 2 3 Individual 4 Expt 1 Expt2 EXPT3

Growth Rates of Plants at Different Temperatures

160 140 120 Mean 100 Growth Rate 80 60 40 20 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Experimental Year Year 4

Growth Rates of Plants at Different Humidity Levels

20.4

76.9

76.9

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 27.4

Growth Rates of Mice Fed on Three Different Diets

150 125 Mean Growth Rate (mm/week) 100 75 50 25 0 1 2 Group 3 4 Diet 1 Diet 2

Growth Rates of Mice Housed in Three Different Environments

150 125 Mean 75 (mm/week) 50 25 0 1 Environment 1 Environment 2 Environment 3 2 3 Mouse Group 4

Growth Rates of Mice Fed on Two Different Diets

150 125 Mean Growth Rate (mm/week) 100 75 50 25 0 1 2 Group 3 4 Diet 1 Diet 2

Loss of Hedgerows in UK 1990-1993

9% 12% 40% 39% 1990 1991 1992 1993

Further Information • For more information on creating graphs see: http://bio.ltsn.ac.uk/hosted/GSP/data.html