Table 2 Activities 2 & 3 data visualization examples and justification for inclusion
Set | Card | Description of key message | Type of visualization | Justification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Activity 2 | ||||
1 | 1 | Comparison by wealth quintile (equity groups) | Bar chart | Common approach towards visualizing categories of data. |
2 | Dot plot | Coined as “equiplots” by the International Center for Equity in Health at the University of Pelotas, dot plots are used increasingly in global health to visualize equity [37,38,39,40]. | ||
3 | Dot plot | Intentionally included because it is very difficult to interpret in the context of the key message. | ||
2 | 1 | Comparison among six groups at two time points | Bar chart | Common approach towards visualizing categories of data. |
2 | Slope graph | People have an easier time judging changes in slope and slope graphs are alternatives to bar graphs [7, 8, 11, 12]. | ||
3 | Dumbbell plot | People have an easier time interpreting dots on a common plane, and dot plots are alternatives to bar graphs [7, 8]. Dot plots are used increasingly to visualize equity [37,38,39,40]. | ||
3 | 1 | Comparison of proportions | 100% stacked bar charts | People have an easier time interpreting perpendicular angles and comparisons within the same plane. This is advocated as a preferred approach over a comparison of two pie chart [7, 8]. |
2 | Pie charts | This is the most common approach to comparing proportions. Data visualization research suggest this is more difficult to interpret because people have a harder time accurately comparing angles and wedges [7, 8]. | ||
3 | Bar charts | Intentionally included because it is very difficult to interpret in the context of the key message. | ||
Activity 3 | ||||
1 | 1 | Trend over time with uncertainty | Line graph with shaded confidence intervals | Alternative approach towards visualizing confidence intervals [8, 34]. Has been use by UNICEF and Countdown to 2030 [41, 42]. |
2 | Line graph with error bars | Standard approach towards visualizing confidence intervals [8, 34]. | ||
2 | 1 | Comparison among groups with uncertainty | Bar chart with error bars | Standard approaches towards visualizing categories of data and confidence intervals [8, 34]. |
2 | Dot plot with error bars | Dots improve data-ink ratio and are combined with a standard approach towards visualizing confidence intervals [8, 11, 34]. | ||
3 | Dot plot with shaded error bars | Dots improve data-ink ratio and are combined with a shaded confidence interval bar given people incorrectly interpret error bars [8, 11, 34]. | ||
3 | 1 | Comparison of proportion with absolute numbers | Stacked bar chart | Correctly captures both absolute numbers and proportions. |
2 | 100% stacked bar chart | Intentionally included because it does not fully capture the key message. | ||