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True, and I was having a tough time deciding which option to take (whether to start the y-axis at 0, or 5). As far as averages are concerned, the differences ar
by bvi 14y ago
True, and I was having a tough time deciding which option to take (whether to start the y-axis at 0, or 5). As far as averages are concerned, the differences are in the tenths and hundredths - so starting the y-axis at 0 would have it more difficult to see any differences across the graphs.
- mhartl 14y agostarting the y-axis at 0 would have it more difficult to see any differences across the graphs. That's the point: the differences are small.
- scott_s 14y agoI would go further: the differences probably are not significant. (Small differences may still be significant. In this case, I doubt it.)
- DevX101 14y ago| so starting the y-axis at 0 would have it more difficult to see any differences across the graphs Then maybe there isn't a real difference. See statistical significance.
- pflats 14y agoA (somewhat blunt) rule of thumb, not just for you, but for anyone in this endeavor: In the future, if you are making a graph like this, and the differences are so small that they don't show up when your y-axis starts at 0, they probably aren't important enough to talk about. If you've taken a stats class, you probably know there are times when small differences are meaningful. Any time you're analyzing your own data, though, these differences are rarely worth even considering. Taking a survey and analyzing the resulting data is very hard. There are countless nuances that can affect your results, both mathematical and psychological. Look at political polling - even the people who do it for a living regularly get things wrong.