A clear easy-to-read guide to presenting your message using statistical dataPoor presentation of data is everywhere; basic principles are forgotten or ignored. As a result, audiences are presented with confusing tables and charts that do not make immediate sense. This book is intended to be read by all who present data in any form.The author, a chartered statistician who has run many courses on the subject of data presentation, presents numerous examples alongside an explanation of how improvements can be made and basic principles to adopt. He advocates following four key 'C' words in all messages: Clear, Concise, Correct and Consistent. Following the principles in the book will lead to clearer, simpler and easier to understand messages which can then be assimilated faster. Anyone from student to researcher, journalist to policy adviser, charity worker to government statistician, will benefit from reading this book. More importantly, it will also benefit the recipients of the presented data.'Ed Swires-Hennessy, a recognised expert in the presentation of statistics, explains and clearly describes a set of "principles" of clear and objective statistical communication. This book should be required reading for all those who present statistics.'Richard Laux, UK Statistics Authority'I think this is a fantastic book and hope everyone who presents data or statistics makes time to read it first.'David Marder, Chief Media Adviser, Office for National Statistics, UK'Ed's book makes his tried-and-tested material widely available to anyone concerned with understanding and presenting data. It is full of interesting insights, is highly practical and packed with sensible suggestions and nice ideas that you immediately want to try out.'Dr Shirley Coleman, Principal Statistician, Industrial Statistics Research Unit, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Newcastle University, U

List of Tables viiList of Figures ixIntroduction xiiiPreface xviiAcknowledgements xix1 Understanding number 11.1 Thousands separator 21.2 Decimal separator 31.3 Level of detail in comparisons 41.4 Justification of data 51.5 Basic rounding 71.6 Effective rounding 9Notes 162 Tables 172.1 Position of totals in tables 172.2 What is a table? 192.3 Reference tables 192.4 Summary tables 222.5 How tables are read 242.6 Layout of data in tables 252.7 Capital letters for table titles and headings in tables 292.8 Use of bold typeface 302.9 Use of gridlines and other lines in tables 30Notes 313 Charts (bar charts, histograms, pie charts, graphs) 333.1 How the user interprets charts 333.2 Written aims for charts 353.3 Scale definition and display 373.4 Difference between bar charts and histograms 493.5 Pie chart principles 513.6 Issues with pie charts 553.7 Graph principles 633.8 Issues with graphs 643.9 Pictogram principles 793.10 Comparative charts: Multiple pies, multiple bar charts, double scale graphs 823.11 Graphics 883.12 Three-dimensional charts 90Notes 924 Numbers in text 934.1 Numbers written as text 944.1.1 Correct numbers 944.1.2 Clear numbers 944.1.3 Concise numbers 954.1.4 Consistent numbers 964.2 Ordering of data 974.3 Technical terms 984.4 Plain language 1004.5 Emotive language 1024.6 Key messages 103Notes 1055 Data presentation on the Internet 1075.1 The early years 1105.2 Statistics on CD-ROMs 1135.3 Data on the Internet 1165.4 Charts on the Internet 1205.5 Text on the Internet 128Notes 130