ppt课件-organizingdataintablesandchartscriteriaforeffective.pptVIP

* * * When presenting numeric results in an article or speech, use effective expository writing techniques to help produce a clear narrative about the topic under study. Start each paragraph about numeric information with a good topic sentence, followed by sentences that present the numeric evidence in a logical, easy to follow order. This means coordinating the prose with the table or chart that presents the pertinent numbers, which requires advance thought about how best to arrange the variables or values to be compared. See J.E. Miller, 2006. “How to Communicate Statistical Findings: An Expository Writing Approach.” Chance. 19(4):43-49. * With some variables, it will be immediately evident how to organize their values because those values have an inherent numeric order. For instance, ordinal variables such as age group or income category usually will be arranged in ascending numeric order. Likewise for continuous variables such as blood pressure, height, or cholesterol level. Dates will be arranged in chronological order. * Nominal variables do not have an inherent numeric order to their categories, therefore some other basis is needed for determining how to arrange those categories in tables, charts, and prose. For instance, it isn’t obvious in which order to list geographic regions, ethnic group, or gender. Likewise, for a series of items such as symptoms, causes of death, or barriers to prenatal care, there is no “natural” order in which to organize them in a table or chart. For more information on types of variables, see Chambliss, Daniel F. and Russell K. Schutt. 2003. Making Sense of the Social World: Methods of Investigation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. * There are three main tools for presenting numeric information: Prose, tables, and charts. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Prose is the best way to explain the purpose and interpretation of numeric information. However, sentences are a very inefficient way to organize a lot of number