For presenting findings, a figure can be more effective than a table, and either a figure or a table is typically more effective than written text when a figure or table is appropriate. Here you have just three sets of data points, however the differences among the three species are very important toward the objectives of the study. A figure might better serve to convey the differences and the variation within each data set. A table presenting means ± standard deviations and outcome of a statistical analysis could also be effective.
This comparison is the most important result of the study, so let us go ahead and plot the data. What plot type did you select? You have a continuous dependendent variable, however the independent variable is in the form of cateorgies. A scatter plot will not do. The categories are names of species, not quantities. A column graph looks like the best choice.
Here again are your data, to be copied/pasted or entered by hand onto a spreadsheet.
| Acer palmatum | 11.4 | 17.0 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 12.5 | 9.3 | 10.4 | 13.7 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 9.2 | 11.8 |
| Quercus rubra | 7.9 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 6.6 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 6.4 | 9.2 | 5.8 | 9.5 | 5.3 |
| Morus alba | 44.5 | 28.4 | 37.8 | 23.0 | 28.9 | 58.7 | 30.5 | 33.6 | 26.5 | 36.8 | 8.3 | 35.2 |
Before plotting the data you will need to calculate a mean value of tree height at 3 months and a standard error for each species, then set up the independent variable, dependent variable, and errors in rows or columns. Do that now, select your data, and use the Chart Wizard to generate a column graph without making any modifications for now.
Time is the independent variable, to be plotted on the x axis; height (a measured quantity) is a dependent variable, to be plotted on the y axis.
A good choice for plotting these data is to use a scatter plot (XY scatter) of mean values verus time, rather than a scatter plot of raw data; other plot types are not suitable for this kind of data set.
"Computer clutter" should be replaced by X and Y axis labels, a figure caption, and perhaps an appropriate trend line.
A good caption includes just enough information to permit it to stand apart from text.
We typially include an error estimate when reporting mean values
– standard deviations for means reported in text or a table and
error bars representing the s.e.m.s for mean valuess in a scatter
plot.
If you intend to compare two sets of data they should be plotted on axes with the same scale and proportion; if practical they should be plotted in the same figure.
When data are suitable for presentation in a figure, a figure is often preferable to a table or text.