· Each axis should end at a tick mark.
· Tick marks can point in or out, but they should not cross the axis. Tick marks that point in direct the eye toward the data. Tick marks that point out keep the face of the graph clear and are particularly useful when data fall on the axis. Special Effects
· Avoid special effects if they do not enhance the point to be made.
· Use of 3-dimensional bars may make reading the data a little more difficult because it is not evident which part of the 3-D bar measures actual data.
· Use 3-D graphs if you have three axes of information.
· Build a series on a 2-D version of the chart to add some distinctive effect (Figs. 24 and 25).
· Consider breaking the graph or figure into components (i.e., add segments,build, or use more slides to show the graph).
· You can show the entire graph and then focus in on a certain part that really displays the information you want to get across. Bar Charts Bar charts are used to compare an amount of a variable at particular times or points, or to compare the amount of one variable to another. Bar charts are less effective in emphasizing the trend in a variable over time. They may be horizontally or vertically oriented. The virtue of bar charts is their simplicity, so they should be as uncluttered as possible.
· Use as few bars as necessary, with a maximum of six different bars.
· Emphasize one aspect of the data by changing a specific bar’s color or texture.
· Leave control bars unfilled (or white on color charts) to stand apart from experimental variables.
· Bars should be wider than the spaces between them. All bars should be of equal width, and all spaces—including the space between the axis and the first bar—should be of equal width. Bars should be neither very thin nor very wide