Choosing a chart requires knowing your data. Charts are a means of communication aimed at revealing information, so the main question is: what do you want to show? Once you've answered that question, you should analyze your data and discover what kind of data you have. Data values used in visualizations can usually be classified as one of these three types:
- Quantitative: A value that can be measured or counted (a number, a length, an area, an angle)
- Ordinal: A value can be ranked or compared (color saturation, area, angle, length, words)
- Nominal: A category (a name)
What is the purpose of you chart? Do you wish to reveal relationships, trends, or causality? What kind of relationship do you wish to emphasize? Do your variables ...
