6. Visualizing Data in jamovi

In the previous chapter, we described data using numerical summaries such as means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages. In this chapter, we will describe data using visualizations.

Graphs allow us to see patterns that may not be obvious from numbers alone. They also help us communicate those patterns clearly to other people. A graph should therefore do more than look appealing: it should make the most important feature of the data easier to understand.

By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

• Choose an appropriate plot based on the variables and the question you are asking
• Explain what common plots communicate about the data
• Create and make basic edits to a plot in jamovi
• Identify common choices that can make a graph clearer or more misleading

The five main plots available through the Plots tab in jamovi are bar plots, box plots, histograms, scatterplots, and line plots. The sections in this chapter are organized by the types of variables you want to visualize rather than by the buttons in jamovi. This is intentional: choose a graph based on what you want to communicate, not simply because a particular plot is available.

Chapter Sections

• 6.1 Why Visualize Data?
• 6.2 Choosing the Right Graph
• 6.3 Visualizing One or More Categorical Variables
• 6.4 Visualizing One or More Continuous Variables
• 6.5 Visualizing a Continuous Variable Across a Categorical Variable
• 6.6 Expanding Your Data Visualization