Tables and Graphs
How to import your Webstats into
Excel and make pretty charts and
tables.
POL 242
June 14, 2006
• Click on File>Save Page As in
Firefox
• File->Save As in
Internet Explorer
Save as text file
• Choose name
as file.
• Save as “Text
Files”
• See next slide
for IE
screenshot
• File suffix will be
.txt
IE Save as Text File
Open Excel, then select File->Open
.txt files
saved from
Webstats
Be sure to select
“All Files” or “Text
Files” to see the
files you saved
from Webstats
Text Import Wizard Opens
Choose fixed
width
[Optional] You can start the import at a lower
row, close to where the data output begins.
Here you can scroll
to see where you
want to start
importing.
Draw lines that tell Excel where the columns are by clicking in the desired
position. In this illustration, two lines have been drawn (follow the
arrows) and at least two more should be drawn (see the arrows).
You don’t need to do anything here but click “Finish”!
For cross-tabs, the “Do Not Import Column” is useful for deleting
the lines that create the columns on Webstats.
Click on column border and hold to
extend so everything is visible (if
necessary)
If there are
rows that can
be deleted,
you can click
on the row
number and
go to Edit
Menu or
right-click for
“Delete” or
“Clear
Contents”
I think I’ll delete Row
#11 and Row #12
By clicking in the cell, you can edit text
like the category labels.
Making a nice table
• You can delete rows, or columns that are not
important. You can also make some rows or
columns taller or wider to accommodate larger
text or add white space that lets your table be
more readable.
• You can cut and paste cells into a table in Word.
• Just like in Word, you can make the text bold or
italic. You can change the size of the text, or put
in an underline.
• One of the best things you can do is add borders
and/or shading. After selecting the relevant cells,
go to Format->Cell or look for the icon:
• Format->Cell also lets you merge cells
and wrap text.
I made this table from A2: Arab Aspirations
and A21: Agree/Disagree that Israel
should exchange territories for peace.
Return to
Part of Land
Return to
all of
Land
Occupy
Israel
Occupy
Israel,
Destroy
People
Strongly Agree
45.5%
40.1
13.6
8.4
23.6%
Agree
40.3
40.7
44.6
22.9
34.7
Disagree
10.2
11.4
26.0
30.0
21.2
Strongly Disagree
4.0
7.8
15.7
38.8
20.5
Total
14.6%
27.6
20.1
37.7
Total
Charts & Graphs
Using A21: Arab Aspirations
2nd - Click this
button for the chart
wizard.
1st - Click and hold
down to highlight the
cells that you want to
graph.
Chart Wizard Opens.
Choose the chart you want to use. Since this variable is nominal, a Bar Chart is
best.
Press
Next ->
When
you are
done
A preview
appears. Make
sure your series is
in columns.
Click on the
Series Tab to
enter in the
category labels or
to add another set
of values.
To assign labels, click in this box and then
click on the desired cells in the worksheet
Notice the
dialogue window
automatically
shrinks after you
click in the
worksheeet.
Here I am highlighting the category
labels.
Here I am typing a title for the graph. You can see that I can also
title the axes. The other tabs reveal other options for the chart’s
appearance. Click ‘Next’ when done!
Now make it pretty
• Choose a chart location and click “Finish”
– I recommend choosing a new sheet.
• Click around chart to change colors and other
features.
– Click, and then right-click, on the background to
change the background color
– Clink, and then right-click, on a bar to change the
bars’ colors.
– You can always go to the Chart menu to change the
type of chart, the chart location and revisit the chart
options dialogue (to add or remove a legend, for
example).
• Remember to “Save As” as an Excel file, not .txt
Change the labels by going
back to the worksheet with
the data and changing the
text in the cells.
Use the text box to put text manually
anywhere on the chart
KISS
• Keep It Simple, Students!
• Good design focuses attention to data. Do not
let art get in way of visual’s effectiveness.
– What’s the point of 3-D?
• Limit the data you present to that which is
pertinent to your point(s).
– But include necessary parameters on visual.
Visuals: Causal Explanation
• Display data that presents causal
explanation.
– Display what people need to think about.
– Not necessarily descriptive narration.
• Visual clarity should match explanatory
clarity.
– Colors or shading should match ordering of
data.
Pie Charts
• Component – Pie
– Use only when you are
illustrating parts as a
percentage of some
whole (=1 or 100).
– Very useful if you want
to highlight share of
one part.
– Difficult to compare
one pie to another pie.
http://www.sapdesignguild.org/resources/diagram_guidelines/index.html
Bar Charts
• Item – Bar
– Bars can be arranged
in any order
– Great for categorical
variables, especially
with lengthy labels.
– Great for comparing
values.
– Useful for showing
ranges.
– Scale at top or
bottom.
Columns and Lines
• Unlike bar, both axes
of column chart are
ordered.
• Subdivided columns
compare changes in
parts of the whole
better than multiple pie
charts.
• Lines show trends and
skews very well and
smooth over slightly
irregular distributions.