2.2. Choosing and interpreting plots

This week we will learn how to create data plots with Python.

Perhaps even more important is thinking about which plot to use, and how to tweak the plot to allow readers to see the data features you want to illustrate (perhaps a difference between groups, and interesting distribution or a correlation).

Sometimes we plot data for our own benefit as researchers - to get an understanding of the dataset. Other times we are producing ‘finished’ plots for a report or paper.

The following video discusses what types of plots we might make in each case.

To make your reports readable, you will need to add a legend to your plots, pointing out what the reader is supposed to notice. The following video discusses the kind of things you might look out for if asked to ‘plot the data and comment’; in a real report, such comments would go into the figure legend.