Slide preparation: line graphs and scatter plots
Jane Fraser, Richard Cave · 2023
This chapter provides some tips that helps presenters to give line graphs and scatter plots a consistent, professional look. In line graphs, the convention is to put an independent and continuous variable - for example, time or concentration - on the x axis, and the dependent variable - for example, a measure of treatment effect - on the y axis. If, as usually happens, a graph is on the screen for a minute or less, it is hard for audiences to take in the meaning at each line, so restrict the number of lines, even more than presenters would in graphs appearing in a printed paper or a poster. Colour combinations that look attractive on presenters&s; computer screen may look washed out and faded when projected, and it may become difficult to distinguish between colours. In papers, broken lines are often used in graphs because the paper is printed in black and white.