When presenting numerical data, keep in mind that numbers don’t speak for themselves. Rather than just rattle off a bunch of statistics, explain what they tell us and how it relates to your larger argument.

Almost always, numbers mean something when you explain how they relate to one another. An effective way of presenting this is through graphic forms. Graphic forms are useful for making comparisons between data, illustrating trends, and understanding how a subset relates to an overall picture, among other things, which help you connect the significance of your numerical data to your larger argument.

Graphic forms can be generated using Excel or Numbers. When creating graphic forms, be sure to include the following

– A title that describes the data presented.

– Labels and a legend, where relevant.

– The source of your data.

EXAMPLES

Let’s take a look at different graphic forms and their rhetorical uses. The examples below are taken from online news sites intended for a general public. The “infographics” posted below have been decontextualized from their larger argument, that is, I’ve ripped them out of the longer articles in which they were presented. Let’s see if you can infer just by looking at the graphic forms alone as to what larger argument is being made. Click the credit link to access the articles in which these infographics are presented.

Bar charts are useful for demonstrating contrasts between cases. For example, look at the graduation success rates of white athletes in 2012 March Madness (that’s some basketball related stuff) compare with those of black athletes.

With a little creativity, you can also design your bar charts to make them more visually sophisticated. However, what are the pros and cons between the more simple version above and the more stylized one below?

Histograms are useful for comparing different segments within an individual case, as well as comparing segments between cases. In this example, you can see how the percentage of wealth distribution of, say, the top 20% segment, compared to other brackets of income earners within the actual distribution of wealth in the U.S. You can also look at how the top 20% compare between actual, perceived and desired wealth distribution.

Credit: Mother Jones

Line charts are excellent for showing trends over a period of time. They are also useful for comparing between variables.

Credit: Mother Jones

Pie charts are useful for comparing one segment in relation to the whole, but they only work best when there is a drastic difference in size.