Windrose

A Windrose, also known as a compass rose, is a figure on a map or chart that is used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions.  The windrose will usually point which way is North, and then the viewer can conclude which way the other directions are.

windrose

Climograph

A Climograph is a graph that shows the viwer the climate for a certain area.  This particular climograph uses a bar graph to show the climate for Honolulu, Hawaii.

Honolulu Climograph

Population Profile

A Population Profile is a graph that shows the viewer data about a particular population.  These are always used in the census, but can be used in smaller groupings as well.

population profile

Scatterplot

A Scatterplot is a diagram that uses coordinates to display data.  The coordinates consist of one value being on the X axis and another value being on the Y axis.  To read the data one would go to the point as follows; (X,Y).  The scatterplot here shows us how test scores compare to hours spent studying.

scatter plot

Index Value Plot

An Index Value Plot is a graph that makes the extremes stand out to the reader.  The extremes are shown by being on one side or the other of a relative line which is the "normal line" and considered to be an average.

index value plot

Accumulative Line Graph

An Accumulative Line Graph is a graph that is used when the author wants the viewer to be aware of the most up-to-date total that is possible.  Every new point includes the value from the last point so that it is cummulative and incorporates all the data.  As the reader can see here, each day is incorporated in the next as the cumulative mileage never goes downward.

Accumulative line graph

Bilateral Graph

A Bilateral Graph is a graph that compares two opposite sets of data.  It will show increases on one side of a zero line and decreases on the other.  This becomes a great tool to use when both negative and positive numbers need to be shown.

Bilateral Graph