Data Presentation is not a mystery!
 Graphs
 Tables
An Experiment
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The hypothesis is pea plants sprayed with
gibberellic acid will be taller because of
greater internode elongation.
The control plants are sprayed with distilled
water and the experimental plants sprayed
with a dilute solution of gibberellic acid. There
are 10 plants per treatment.
Plant heights are measured for 5 days in row
on the fifth day the number of leaves and the
second internode from the apex is measured.
What follows is how the data will be
presented.
Graph construction
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You have height data over time for control
and treatment pots.
Each pot consisted of several plants.
Each day after spraying you measured plant
height.
Plot the average height of all of your plants in
the control pots versus time.
Plot the average height of all of your plants in
the treatment pots versus time.
Put both plots on the same piece of graph
paper.
Graph Basics
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Graphs always have axes.
Graphs always use the whole piece of graph
paper.
Graphs always have titles and are numbered
Graphs always have axes titles
Graphs always have units given in the axes
titles
A graph always have appropriate tick marks
A graph can have a legend
Graphs always have axes.
Graphs always use the whole
piece of graph paper!!
A graph always has a title and
are numbered.
Figure 1. The Effect of Gibberellic Acid on Pea Plant Growth
A graph always has axes titles.
Plant Height (cm)
Figure 1. The Effect of Gibberellic Acid on Pea Plant Growth
Time (days)
A graph has appropriate tick marks
Plant Height (cm)
Figure 1. The Effect of Gibberellic Acid on Pea Plant Growth
25
20
15
10
5
1
2
3
4
5
6
Time (days after spraying )
There is a trend line for each
data set.
For our purposes we will assume a linear
relationship unless it is indicated otherwise.
Plant Height (cm)
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25
20
15
10
5
1
2
3
4
5
6
Time (days after spraying )
A graph should have a legend
Plant Height (cm)
Figure 1. The Effect of Gibberellic Acid on Pea Plant Growth
25
Gibberellic acid spray
20
Control
15
10
5
1
2
3
4
5
6
Time (days after spraying )
Table Construction.
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Your have control and treatment plots.
Report the mean internode length and # of
leaves for all of the pea plants in the control
pot.
Report the mean internode length and # of
leaves for all of the peas in the treatment pot.
Report this information in the same table.
Table Basics
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Tables always have titles.
Tables always are numbered.
Tables always have headings for columns
and rows.
Tables always indicate what the units are.
Tables summarize data.
Tables always have titles!
Table 1 Effect of Gibberellic Acid on Internode Length and
Number of Leaves of Pea Plants
Tables always are numbered.
Table 1 Effect of Gibberellic Acid on Internode Length and
Number of Leaves of Pea Plants
Tables always have headings
for columns and rows.
Table 1 Effect of Gibberellic Acid on Internode Length and
Number of Leaves of Pea Plants
Observation
Mean Internode Length (cm)
Mean Number of Leaves per
Plant
Control
Gibberllic Acid
Treatment
Table 1 Effect of Gibberellic Acid on Internode Length and
Number of Leaves of Pea Plants
Observation
Mean Internode Length
Control
(cm)†
Mean Number of Leaves per
Plant
† 2nd
internode from apex
Gibberllic Acid
Treatment
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Other Data
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Report your qualitative data using sentences.
Finishing Thoughts
 Tables and Figures used in reports summarize
data.
 Never report the same data in both a Figure and a
Table.
 Always encapsulate the relevant points of a Figure
or Table using data points (the numbers) in one or
more well constructed sentences in the text.
 Tables and Figures appear in the text of the report
as soon after they are referred to as possible, not
in a separate section at the end of the paper.
Data presentation is really black
and white!