geo : graphs pros and cons

bar charts pro

simple to construct and read, effective for showing discrete data

bar charts cons

not good to represent data that covers a very large range

line graphs pro

simple to construct and read, effective for showing continuous data

line graphs cons

can be difficult to construct and read if values are large and the variation in data is small and accuracy required.

pie charts pros

visually effective for representing percentages, comparison good, widely used so easily understood

pie chart cons

very difficult to read values accurately, if too many small sectors very confusing

scatter graphs pros

visually effective for representing relationships in bivariate data. distance from line of best fit gives indication of strength of correlation between variables

scatter graph cons

the strength of suspected correlation cannot be measured without use of a statistical test, correlation not causation, if many random points difficult to find positive or negative line of best fit

chloropleths pros

very visually effective for representing groups over space. easy to understand

chloropleth cons

some patterns can be concealed if too few groups of data chosen, also too generalized. suggest there is not variation within the area

flow line map pros

effective way of showing flow patterns and movement

flow line map cons

difficult to construct and read the scale. too many can obstruct map