Where do graphs fit into analysis?

Graphs? Why Graphs?

Do you think of graphs when you think of data analysis? Maybe you do, but if you don’t then it’s time to start.

Often people consider effective data analytics to be complicated, but that is definitely not always the case. The goal of data analytics in business is to learn about the characteristics of the data to make decisions. The better we understand it, the better we achieve that goal. The goal isn’t to make sure that no one understands our analysis. Visualising data is often the most effective way of describing it for human beings, because sight is such an important part of how we interact with the world. A good graph can make insights obvious and doesn’t require the viewer to decipher a complicated calculation. Even if it isn’t always the final result of an analysis, it often provides an important starting point.

In the next activity, Adrian will talk through several useful graphical techniques. He will discuss what type of data is appropriate for each technique and how to interpret the visualisations with examples. You will learn about pie charts, bar charts, histograms, line plots, and scatter plots.