"They [diagrams] are designed not so much to allow of reference to particular numbers, which can be better had from printed tables of figures, as to exhibit to the eye the general results of large masses of figures which it is hopeless to attack in any other way than by graphical representation." (William S Jevons, [letter to Richard Hutton] 1863)
"If statistical graphics, although born just yesterday, extends its reach every day, it is because it replaces long tables of numbers and it allows one not only to embrace at glance the series of phenomena, but also to signal the correspondences or anomalies, to find the causes, to identify the laws." (Émile Cheysson, cca. 1877)
"The use of two or more amount scales for comparisons of series in
which the units are unlike and, therefore, not comparable [...]
generally results in an ineffective and confusing presentation which is
difficult to understand and to interpret. Comparisons of this nature can
be much more clearly shown by reducing the components to a comparable
basis as percentages or index numbers." (Rufus R Lutz, "Graphic Presentation Simplified", 1949)
"Percentages offer a fertile field for confusion. And like the
ever-impressive decimal they can lend an aura of precision to the
inexact. […] Any percentage figure based on a small number of cases is
likely to be misleading. It is more informative to give the figure
itself. And when the percentage is carried out to decimal places, you
begin to run the scale from the silly to the fraudulent." (Darell Huff, "How to Lie with Statistics", 1954)
"When numbers in tabular form are taboo and words will not do the work well as is often the case. There is one answer left: Draw a picture. About the simplest kind of statistical picture or graph, is the line variety. It is very useful for showing trends, something practically everybody is interested in showing or knowing about or spotting or deploring or forecasting." (Darell Huff, "How to Lie with Statistics", 1954)
"We must emphasize that such terms as 'select at random', 'choose at
random', and the like, always mean that some mechanical device, such as
coins, cards, dice, or tables of random numbers, is used." (Frederick Mosteller et al, "Principles of Sampling", Journal of the American Statistical Association Vol. 49 (265), 1954)
"The precision of a number is the degree of exactness with which
it is stated, while the accuracy of a number is the degree of exactness
with which it is known or observed. The precision of a quantity is
reported by the number of significant figures in it." (Edmund C Berkeley
& Lawrence Wainwright, Computers: Their Operation and
Applications", 1956)
"Every
graph is at least an indication, by contrast with some common instances
of numbers." (John W Tukey, "Data Analysis, Including Statistics",
1968)
"Tables are [...] the backbone of most statistical
reports. They provide the basic substance and foundation on which
conclusions can be based. They are considered valuable for the following
reasons: (1) Clarity - they present many items of data in an orderly
and organized way. (2) Comprehension - they make it possible to compare
many figures quickly. (3) Explicitness - they provide actual numbers
which document data presented in accompanying text and charts. (4)
Economy - they save space, and words. (5) Convenience - they offer easy
and rapid access to desired items of information." (Peter H Selby, "Interpreting Graphs and Tables", 1976)
"When hundreds of numbers are arrayed in a complex table most people
find it difficult to sort out the significant features; indeed, there
are many who cannot interpret even the simplest tables. No doubt it
would help if such skills were taught in schools, but they are not, and
the practicing communicator has to take people as they are. Therefore it
is common practice to use charts for a general readership. Bar charts
show quantity by length, and Isotype charts show quantity by rows of
standard symbols. In effect this reduces the need for abstract cognition
and offers the data as a series of visual comparisons (this/that,
here/there, now/then)." (Michael Macdonald-Ross, "Graphics in Texts",
Review of Research in Education Vol. 5, 1977)
"Graphic charts are ways of presenting quantitative as well as qualitative information in an efficient and effective visual form. Numbers and ideas presented graphically are often more easily understood. remembered. and integrated than when they are presented in narrative or tabular form. Descriptions. trends. relationships, and comparisons can be made more apparent. Less time is required to present and comprehend information when graphic methods are employed. As the old truism states, 'One picture is worth a thousand words.'" (Robert Lefferts, "Elements of Graphics: How to prepare charts and graphs for effective reports", 1981)
"Inept graphics also flourish because many graphic artists believe that statistics are boring and tedious. It then follows that decorated graphics must pep up, animate, and all too often exaggerate what evidence there is in the data. […] If the statistics are boring, then you've got the wrong numbers." (Edward R Tufte, "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information", 1983)
"Modern data graphics can do much more than simply substitute for small statistical tables. At their best, graphics are instruments for reasoning about quantitative information. Often the most effective way to describe, explore, and summarize a set of numbers even a very large set - is to look at pictures of those numbers. Furthermore, of all methods for analyzing and communicating statistical information, well-designed data graphics are usually the simplest and at the same time the most powerful." (Edward R Tufte, "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information", 1983)
"[…] the only worse design than a pie chart is several of them,
for then the viewer is asked to compare quantities located in spatial
disarray both within and between pies. […] Given their low data-density
and failure to order numbers along a visual dimension, pie charts should
never be used." (Edward R Tufte, "The Visual Display of Quantitative
Information", 1983)
"The representation of numbers, as
physically measured on the surface of the graphic itself, should be
directly proportional to the numerical quantities represented." (Edward R Tufte, "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information", 1983)
"The essence of a graphic display is that a set of numbers having both magnitudes and an order are represented by an appropriate visual metaphor - the magnitude and order of the metaphorical representation match the numbers. We can display data badly by ignoring or distorting this concept." (Howard Wainer, "How to Display Data Badly", The American Statistician Vol. 38(2), 1984)
"Lurking behind chartjunk is contempt both for information and for the audience. Chartjunk promoters imagine that numbers and details are boring, dull, and tedious, requiring ornament to enliven. Cosmetic decoration, which frequently distorts the data, will never salvage an underlying lack of content. If the numbers are boring, then you've got the wrong numbers." (Edward R Tufte, "Envisioning Information", 1990)
"If you want to show the growth of numbers which tend to grow by
percentages, plot them on a logarithmic vertical scale. When plotted
against a logarithmic vertical axis, equal percentage changes take up
equal distances on the vertical axis. Thus, a constant annual percentage
rate of change will plot as a straight line. The vertical scale on a
logarithmic chart does not start at zero, as it shows the ratio of
values (in this case, land values), and dividing by zero is impossible."
(Herbert F Spirer et al, "Misused Statistics" 2nd Ed, 1998)
"We analyze numbers in order to know when a change has occurred in our processes or systems. We want to know about such changes in a timely manner so that we can respond appropriately. While this sounds rather straightforward, there is a complication - the numbers can change even when our process does not. So, in our analysis of numbers, we need to have a way to distinguish those changes in the numbers that represent changes in our process from those that are essentially noise." (Donald J Wheeler, "Understanding Variation: The Key to Managing Chaos" 2nd Ed., 2000)
"Not all statistics start out bad, but any statistic can be made worse. Numbers - even good numbers - can be misunderstood or misinterpreted. Their meanings can be stretched, twisted, distorted, or mangled. These alterations create what we can call mutant statistics - distorted versions of the original figures." (Joel Best, "Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians, and Activists", 2001)
"The content and context of the numerical data determines the most
appropriate mode of presentation. A few numbers can be listed, many
numbers require a table. Relationships among numbers can be displayed by
statistics. However, statistics, of necessity, are summary quantities
so they cannot fully display the relationships, so a graph can be used
to demonstrate them visually. The attractiveness of the form of the
presentation is determined by word layout, data structure, and design."
(Gerald van Belle, "Statistical Rules of Thumb", 2002)
"Numbers
are often useful in stories because they record a recent change in some
amount, or because they are being compared with other numbers.
Percentages, ratios and proportions are often better than raw numbers in
establishing a context." (Charles Livingston & Paul Voakes,
"Working with Numbers and Statistics: A handbook for journalists", 2005)
"Statistics can certainly pronounce a fact, but they cannot explain it without an underlying context, or theory. Numbers have an unfortunate tendency to supersede other types of knowing. […] Numbers give the illusion of presenting more truth and precision than they are capable of providing." (Ronald J Baker, "Measure what Matters to Customers: Using Key Predictive Indicators", 2006)
"We need [graphic] techniques because figures do not speak for themselves. Numbers alone seldom make a convincing case or polish their author's image - the twin goals of that other great mind bender, rhetoric. While rhetoric deals in qualitative argument, its quantitative equivalent is graphics. As rhetoric has declined in popularity, so graphics have risen along with our acceptance of quantitative arguments. In graphics, figures finally find their own means of expression." (Nicholas Strange, "Smoke and Mirrors: How to bend facts and figures to your advantage", 2007)
"Generally pie charts are to be avoided, as they can be difficult
to interpret particularly when the number of categories is greater than
five. Small proportions can be very hard to discern […] In addition,
unless the percentages in each of the individual categories are given as
numbers it can be much more difficult to estimate them from a pie chart
than from a bar chart […]." (Jenny Freeman et al, "How to Display
Data", 2008)
"An indication that the data is not
statistically sound is when it is almost too precise." (Brian Suda, "A
Practical Guide to Designing with Data", 2010)
"Another way to obscure the truth is to hide it with relative numbers. […] Relative scales are always given as percentages or proportions. An increase or decrease of a given percentage only tells us part of the story, however. We are missing the anchoring of absolute values." (Brian Suda, "A Practical Guide to Designing with Data", 2010)
"By giving numbers a proper shape, by visually encoding them, the graphic has saved you time and energy that you would otherwise waste if you had to use a table that was not designed to aid your mind." (Alberto Cairo, "The Functional Art", 2011)
"The numbers have no way of speaking for themselves. We speak for them. We imbue them with meaning." (Nate Silver, "The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail-but Some Don't", 2012)
"A common mistake is that all visualization must be simple, but this skips a step. You should actually design graphics that lend clarity, and that clarity can make a chart 'simple' to read. However, sometimes a dataset is complex, so the visualization must be complex. The visualization might still work if it provides useful insights that you wouldn’t get from a spreadsheet. […] Sometimes a table is better. Sometimes it’s better to show numbers instead of abstract them with shapes. Sometimes you have a lot of data, and it makes more sense to visualize a simple aggregate than it does to show every data point." (Nathan Yau, "Data Points: Visualization That Means Something", 2013)
"Data is more than numbers, and to visualize it,
you must know what it represents. Data represents real life. It’s a
snapshot of the world in the same way that a photograph captures a small
moment in time. […] The connection between data and what it represents
is key to visualization that means something. It is key to thoughtful
data analysis. It is key to a deeper understanding of your data.
Computers do a bulk of the work to turn numbers into shapes and colors,
but you must make the connection between data and real life, so that you
or the people you make graphics for extract something of value." (Nathan Yau, "Data Points: Visualization That Means Something", 2013)
"The
omission of zero magnifies the ups and downs in the data, allowing us
to detect changes that might otherwise be ambiguous. However, once zero
has been omitted, the graph is no longer an accurate guide to the
magnitude of the changes. Instead, we need to look at the actual
numbers." (Gary Smith, "Standard Deviations", 2014)
"Statistics, because they are numbers, appear to us to be cold, hard facts. It seems that they represent facts given to us by nature and it’s just a matter of finding them. But it’s important to remember that people gather statistics. People choose what to count, how to go about counting, which of the resulting numbers they will share with us, and which words they will use to describe and interpret those numbers. Statistics are not facts. They are interpretations. And your interpretation may be just as good as, or better than, that of the person reporting them to you." (Daniel J Levitin, "Weaponized Lies", 2017)
"Good charts are useful because they untangle the complexity of numbers, making them more concrete and tangible. However, charts can also lead us to spot patterns and trends that are dubious, spurious, or misleading, particularly when we pair them with the human brain’s tendency to read too much into what we see and to always try to confirm what we already believe." (Alberto Cairo, "How Charts Lie", 2019)
"Are your insights based on data that is accurate and reliable?
Trustworthy data is correct or valid, free from significant defects and
gaps. The trustworthiness of your data begins with the proper
collection, processing, and maintenance of the data at its source.
However, the reliability of your numbers can also be influenced by how
they are handled during the analysis process. Clean data can
inadvertently lose its integrity and true meaning depending on how it is
analyzed and interpreted." (Brent Dykes, "Effective Data Storytelling: How to Drive Change with Data, Narrative and Visuals", 2019)
"Numbers can always yield multiple
interpretations, and they may be approached from varied angles. We
journalists don’t vary our approaches more often because many of us are
sloppy, innumerate, or simply forced to publish stories at a quick pace.
That’s why chart readers must remain vigilant. Even the most honest
chart creator makes mistakes." (Alberto Cairo, "How Charts Lie", 2019)
"The
term 'infographics' is used for eye-catching diagrams which get a
simple message across. They are very popular in advertising and can
convey an impression of scientific, reliable information, but they are
not the same thing as data visualization. An infographic will typically
only convey a few numbers, and not use visual presentations to allow the
reader to make comparisons of their own." (Robert Grant, "Data
Visualization: Charts, Maps and Interactive Graphics", 2019)
"The
second rule of communication is to know what you want to achieve.
Hopefully the aim is to encourage open debate, and informed
decision-making. But there seems no harm in repeating yet again that
numbers do not speak for themselves; the context, language and graphic
design all contribute to the way the communication is received. We have
to acknowledge we are telling a story, and it is inevitable that people
will make comparisons and judgements, no matter how much we only want to
inform and not persuade. All we can do is try to preempt inappropriate
gut reactions by design or warning." (David Spiegelhalter, "The Art of Statistics: Learning from Data", 2019)
"There
is no ‘correct’ way to display sets of numbers: each of the plots we
have used has some advantages: strip-charts show individual points,
box-and-whisker plots are convenient for rapid visual summaries, and
histograms give a good feel for the underlying shape of the data
distribution." (David Spiegelhalter, "The Art of Statistics: Learning from Data", 2019)
"Numbers are ideal vehicles for promulgating bullshit. They feel objective, but are easily manipulated to tell whatever story one desires. Words are clearly constructs of human minds, but numbers? Numbers seem to come directly from Nature herself. We know words are subjective. We know they are used to bend and blur the truth. Words suggest intuition, feeling, and expressivity. But not numbers. Numbers suggest precision and imply a scientific approach. Numbers appear to have an existence separate from the humans reporting them." (Carl T Bergstrom & Jevin D West, "Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World", 2020)
