Statistical graphics

Statistical graphics use visual forms to explore data, reveal patterns, and communicate statistical results. They include plots, charts, and maps designed to represent quantitative or categorical information.

Data visualization: The visual representation of information to support understanding, exploration, or communication. Statistical graphics are a data-focused branch of this broader practice.
Grammar of Graphics: A framework that describes graphics through mappings between data, visual properties, and geometric forms. It provides a systematic way to specify how a dataset becomes a plot.
William Playfair: A Scottish engineer and political economist who pioneered statistical charts in the late eighteenth century. His line, bar, and pie charts helped establish graphical forms for economic data.
Exploratory data analysis: An approach to analyzing data that uses summaries and visualizations to discover structure and generate hypotheses. Plots help expose unexpected patterns before formal modeling begins.
Table (information): An arrangement of information in rows and columns for reference or comparison. Tables preserve exact values, while statistical graphics emphasize visual patterns.
Descriptive statistics: Methods for summarizing and describing the main features of a dataset. Summaries such as averages and spreads often appear alongside statistical plots.
Scatter plot: A graph that represents paired quantitative observations as points on two axes. It reveals association, clusters, and unusual observations between two measurements.
Florence Nightingale: A British nurse and statistician who used data displays to advocate for health reforms. Her polar-area diagrams connected visual evidence to changes in military hospital policy.
Data journalism: Journalism that uses data analysis and visualization to investigate and communicate stories. Graphics make statistical findings legible and testable in public reporting.
Infographic: A visual composition that combines graphics and text to explain information or tell a story. Infographics often prioritize narrative and decoration beyond statistical comparison.

Linked from 6 pages