"Graphic representation by means of charts depends upon the super-position of special lines or curves upon base lines drawn or ruled in a standard manner. For the economic construction of these charts as well as their correct use it is necessary that the standard rulings be correctly designed." (Allan C Haskell, "How to Make and Use Graphic Charts", 1919)
"It is not possible to lay down any hard and fast rules for determining what chart is the best for any given problem. Ordinarily that one is the best which will produce the quickest and clearest results. but unfortunately it is not always possible to construct the clearest one in the least time. Experience is the best guide. Generally speaking, a rectilinear chart is best adapted for equations of the first degree, logarithmic for those other than the first degree and not containing over two variables, and alignment charts where there are three or more variables. However, nearly every person becomes more or less familiar with one type of chart and prefers to adhere to the use of that type because he does not care to take the time and trouble to find out how to use the others. It is best to know what the possibilities of all types are and to be governed accordingly when selecting one or the other for presenting or working out certain data." (Allan C Haskell, "How to Make and Use Graphic Charts", 1919)
"The principles of charting and curve plotting are not at all complex, and it is surprising that many business men dodge the simplest charts as though they involved higher mathematics or contained some sort of black magic. [...] The trouble at present is that there are no standards by which graphic presentations can be prepared in accordance with definite rules so that their interpretation by the reader may be both rapid and accurate. It is certain that there will evolve for methods of graphic presentation a few useful and definite rules which will correspond with the rules of grammar for the spoken and written language." (Willard C Brinton, "Graphic Methods for Presenting Facts", 1919)
"The eye can accurately appraise only very few features of a diagram, and consequently a complicated or confusing diagram will lead the reader astray. The fundamental rule for all charting is to use a plan which is simple and which takes account, in its arrangement of the facts to be presented, of the above-mentioned capacities of the eye." (William L Crum et al, "Introduction to Economic Statistics", 1938)
"In making up the charts, keep them simple. One idea to a page and not too much detail is a good rule. Try to get variety in the subject matter - now a chart, next a diagram, then a tabulation. Such variety helps hold audience attention." (Edward J Hegarty, "How to Use a Set of Display Charts", The American Statistician Vol. 2 (5), 1948)
"The grid lines should be lighter than the curves, with the base line somewhat heavier than the others. All vertical lines should be of equal weight, unless the time scale is subdivided in quarters or other time periods, indicated by heavier rules. Very wide base lines, sometimes employed for pictorial effect, distort the graphic impression by making the base line the most prominent feature of the chart." (Rufus R Lutz, "Graphic Presentation Simplified", 1949)
"The number of grid lines should be kept to a minimum. This means that there should be just enough coordinate lines in the field so that the eye can readily interpret the values at any point on the curve. No definite rule can be specified as to the optimum number of lines in a grid. This must be left to the discretion of the chart-maker and can come only from experience. The size of the chart, the type and range of the data. the number of curves, the length and detail of the period covered, as well as other factors, will help to determine the number of grid lines." (Calvin F Schmid, "Handbook of Graphic Presentation", 1954)
"As a general rule, plotted points and graph lines should be given more 'weight' than the axes. In this way the 'meat' will be easily distinguishable from the 'bones'. Furthermore, an illustration composed of lines of unequal weights is always more attractive than one in which all the lines are of uniform thickness. It may not always be possible to emphasise the data in this way however. In a scattergram, for example, the more plotted points there are, the smaller they may need to be and this will give them a lighter appearance. Similarly, the more curves there are on a graph, the thinner the lines may need to be. In both cases, the axes may look better if they are drawn with a somewhat bolder line so that they are easily distinguishable from the data." (Linda Reynolds & Doig Simmonds, "Presentation of Data in Science" 4th Ed, 1984)
"The rule is that a graph of a change in a variable with time should always have a vertical scale that starts with zero. Otherwise, it is inherently misleading." (Douglas A Downing & Jeffrey Clark, "Forgotten Statistics: A Self-Teaching Refresher Course", 1996)
"[...] when data is presented in certain ways, the patterns can be readily perceived. If we can understand how perception works, our knowledge can be translated into rules for displaying information. Following perception‐based rules, we can present our data in such a way that the important and informative patterns stand out. If we disobey the rules, our data will be incomprehensible or misleading." (Colin Ware, "Information Visualization: Perception for Design" 2nd Ed., 2004)
"Plotting data is a useful first stage to any analysis and will show extreme observations together with any discernible patterns. In addition the relative sizes of categories are easier to see in a diagram (bar chart or pie chart) than in a table. Graphs are useful as they can be assimilated quickly, and are particularly helpful when presenting information to an audience. Tables can be useful for displaying information about many variables at once, while graphs can be useful for showing multiple observations on groups or individuals. Although there are no hard and fast rules about when to use a graph and when to use a table, in the context of a report or a paper it is often best to use tables so that the reader can scrutinise the numbers directly." (Jenny Freeman et al, "How to Display Data", 2008)
"[...] if you want to show change through time, use a time-series chart; if you need to compare, use a bar chart; or to display correlation, use a scatter-plot - because some of these rules make good common sense." (Alberto Cairo, "The Functional Art", 2011)
"For every rule in data visualization, there is a scenario where that rule should be broken. This means that choosing the best chart or the best design is always a trade-off between several conflicting goals. Our imperfect perception means that data visualization has a larger subjective dimension than a data table. Sometimes we only need this subjective, impressionist dimension and other times we need to translate it into hard figures. Striving for accuracy is important, but it’s more important to provide those insights that only a visual display can reveal." (Jorge Camões, "Data at Work: Best practices for creating effective charts and information graphics in Microsoft Excel", 2016)
"There can be several reasons why someone breaks the rules, whether from ignorance, malice, or the sincere desire to find a more effective way to explore the data or communicate the results. Whatever the reason, breaking the rules frustrates the audience’s expectations and will incur a cost. Sometimes you might consider this an investment, while often it is nothing more than waste." (Jorge Camões, "Data at Work: Best practices for creating effective charts and information graphics in Microsoft Excel", 2016)
"A perfectly relevant visualization that breaks a few presentation rules is far more valuable - it’s better - than a perfectly executed, beautiful chart that contains the wrong data, communicates the wrong message, or fails to engage its audience." (Scott Berinato, "Good Charts : the HBR guide to making smarter, more persuasive data visualizations", 2023)
"But rules are open to interpretation and sometimes arbitrary or even counterproductive when it comes to producing good visualizations. They’re for responding to context, not setting it. Instead of worrying about whether a chart is "right" or "wrong", focus on whether it’s good." (Scott Berinato, "Good Charts : the HBR guide to making smarter, more persuasive data visualizations", 2023)
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