Data Presenting for Clearer Reference
Imagine the statistical data without a definite presentation, will be burdensome! Data presentation is one of the important aspects of Statistics. Presenting the data helps the users to study and explain the statistics thoroughly. We are going to discuss this presentation of data and know-how information is laid down methodically.
In this context, we are going to present the topic - Presentation of Data which is to be referred to by the students and the same is to be studied in regard to the types of presentations of data.
Presentation of Data and Information
Statistics is all about data. Presenting data effectively and efficiently is an art. You may have uncovered many truths that are complex and need long explanations while writing. This is where the importance of the presentation of data comes in. You have to present your findings in such a way that the readers can go through them quickly and understand each and every point that you wanted to showcase. As time progressed and new and complex research started happening, people realized the importance of the presentation of data to make sense of the findings.
Define Data Presentation
Data presentation is defined as the process of using various graphical formats to visually represent the relationship between two or more data sets so that an informed decision can be made based on them.
Types of Data Presentation
Broadly speaking, there are three methods of data presentation:
Textual
Tabular
Diagrammatic
Textual Ways of Presenting Data
Out of the different methods of data presentation, this is the simplest one. You just write your findings in a coherent manner and your job is done. The demerit of this method is that one has to read the whole text to get a clear picture. Yes, the introduction, summary, and conclusion can help condense the information.
Tabular Ways of Data Presentation and Analysis
To avoid the complexities involved in the textual way of data presentation, people use tables and charts to present data. In this method, data is presented in rows and columns - just like you see in a cricket match showing who made how many runs. Each row and column have an attribute (name, year, sex, age, and other things like these). It is against these attributes that data is written within a cell.
Diagrammatic Presentation: Graphical Presentation of Data in Statistics
This kind of data presentation and analysis method says a lot with dramatically short amounts of time.
Diagrammatic Presentation has been divided into further categories:
Geometric Diagram
When a Diagrammatic presentation involves shapes like a bar or circle, we call that a Geometric Diagram. Examples of Geometric Diagram
Bar Diagram
Simple Bar Diagram
Simple Bar Diagram is composed of rectangular bars. All of these bars have the same width and are placed at an equal distance from each other. The bars are placed on the X-axis. The height or length of the bars is used as the means of measurement. So, on the Y-axis, you have the measurement relevant to the data.
Suppose, you want to present the run scored by each batsman in a game in the form of a bar chart. Mark the runs on the Y-axis - in ascending order from the bottom. So, the lowest scorer will be represented in the form of the smallest bar and the highest scorer in the form of the longest bar.
Multiple Bar Diagram
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In many states of India, electric bills have bar diagrams showing the consumption in the last 5 months. Along with these bars, they also have bars that show the consumption that happened in the same months of the previous year. This kind of Bar Diagram is called Multiple Bar Diagrams.
Component Bar Diagram
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Sometimes, a bar is divided into two or more parts. For example, if there is a Bar Diagram, the bars of which show the percentage of male voters who voted and who didn’t and the female voters who voted and who didn’t. Instead of creating separate bars for who did and who did not, you can divide one bar into who did and who did not.
Pie Chart
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A pie chart is a chart where you divide a pie (a circle) into different parts based on the data. Each of the data is first transformed into a percentage and then that percentage figure is multiplied by 3.6 degrees. The result that you get is the angular degree of that corresponding data to be drawn in the pie chart. So, for example, you get 30 degrees as the result, on the pie chart you draw that angle from the center.
Frequency Diagram
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Suppose you want to present data that shows how many students have 1 to 2 pens, how many have 3 to 5 pens, how many have 6 to 10 pens (grouped frequency) you do that with the help of a Frequency Diagram. A Frequency Diagram can be of many kinds:
Histogram
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Where the grouped frequency of pens (from the above example) is written on the X-axis and the numbers of students are marked on the Y-axis. The data is presented in the form of bars.
Frequency Polygon
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When you join the midpoints of the upper side of the rectangles in a histogram, you get a Frequency Polygon
Frequency Curve
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When you draw a freehand line that passes through the points of the Frequency Polygon, you get a Frequency Curve.
Ogive
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Suppose 2 students got 0-20 marks in maths, 5 students got 20-30 marks and 4 students got 30-50 marks in Maths. So how many students got less than 50 marks? Yes, 5+2=7. And how many students got more than 20 marks? 5+4=9. This type of more than and less than data are represented in the form of the ogive. The meeting point of the less than and more than line will give you the Median.
Arithmetic Line Graph
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If you want to see the trend of Corona infection vs the number of recoveries from January 2020 to December 2020, you can do that in the form of an Arithmetic Line Graph. The months should be marked on the X-axis and the number of infections and recoveries are marked on the Y-axis. You can compare if the recovery is greater than the infection and if the recovery and infection are going at the same rate or not with the help of this Diagram.
Did You Know?
Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher is known as the father of modern statistics.
FAQs on Presentation of Data: Methods and Importance
1. What are the three main methods for the presentation of data as per the CBSE Class 11 syllabus?
According to the CBSE Class 11 Economics syllabus for the 2025-26 session, the three main methods for the presentation of data are:
- Textual Presentation: Data is described within the text. This method is suitable for small amounts of data.
- Tabular Presentation: Data is organised into rows and columns, making it structured and easy to compare.
- Diagrammatic Presentation: Data is represented using visual forms like bars, circles, or graphs for a quick and clear understanding of trends and patterns.
2. Why is the proper presentation of data considered crucial in statistical analysis and research?
Proper presentation of data is crucial because it transforms raw, complex data into a format that is easy to understand, interpret, and analyse. It helps in highlighting key trends, patterns, and relationships that might be hidden in a large dataset. An effective presentation allows for quick comparison and aids in drawing valid conclusions, making it a fundamental step in both statistical analysis and research communication.
3. What is the key difference between a histogram and a bar diagram?
The key difference lies in the type of data they represent. A bar diagram is used to compare different categories of discrete data (categorical data), and the bars are typically separated by gaps. In contrast, a histogram is used to show the frequency distribution of continuous data, where the bars are adjacent to each other to represent continuous class intervals.
4. Explain the four main types of classification used in a tabular presentation of data.
In a tabular presentation, data can be classified in four main ways:
- Qualitative Classification: Based on non-numerical attributes or qualities, such as gender, nationality, or literacy.
- Quantitative Classification: Based on numerical characteristics that can be measured, like height, weight, or income.
- Temporal Classification: Based on time, such as years, months, or days, to show data over a period.
- Spatial Classification: Based on geographical location, such as city, state, or country.
5. In what situation is a pie chart a better choice for data representation than a simple bar diagram?
A pie chart is a better choice when you want to show the proportional composition or percentage share of different components that make up a whole. For instance, to show the percentage contribution of different sectors to a country's GDP, a pie chart is more effective. A bar diagram, on the other hand, is better suited for comparing the absolute values of independent categories.
6. How does an Ogive, or cumulative frequency curve, help in determining the median of a frequency distribution?
An Ogive helps in determining the median graphically. By plotting two types of Ogives on the same graph—the 'less than' Ogive and the 'more than' Ogive—the median can be found at the point where these two curves intersect. The x-coordinate of this intersection point corresponds to the median value of the dataset, providing a visual method for locating this measure of central tendency.
7. While textual presentation is simple, what are its major drawbacks for communicating complex data?
The major drawback of textual presentation is that it is often not suitable for large amounts of data. A reader must go through the entire text to grasp the key findings, which can be time-consuming and may lead to misinterpretation. It makes direct comparison and trend analysis very difficult, unlike tabular or diagrammatic methods which present information in a concise and visually engaging manner.
