Graphing Information

Graphs can provide a quick and effective visual interpretation of information.
Here is Annie’s spending information translated into various types of graphs:



At a glance, this bar graph illustrates where Annie spends the largest portion of her income.

Bar graphs show patterns in growth or change, or they can show comparisons of item amounts or item sizes. Items used in visuals such as this can contain more than numerical evidence. They can illustrate only a few key points or an entire research report.



This pie chart illustrates easily where most of Annie’s money goes easy.

A pie chart or circle graph allows the viewer to compare amounts easily by the proportions visible. Divisions in a pie chart or circle graph show parts of a total.

The pie-graph shows Annie’s total expenses for each category within the large total. In this case, the total money spent in all areas is $110 (42% - Entertainment, 27% - Snowboarding, 18% - Food, 13% - Savings).
Remember that adding charts, graphs, diagrams, infographics, or pictures to a report can help the reader to understand the information clearly.


A line graph is good for demonstrating sequential information such as events that occur in a particular order.

A line graph is not suitable to show Annie’s spending habits within one month. However, it would be effective to show Annie’s spending habits over several months.

When preparing your own research report, consider all the ways you have learned in the non-fiction unit to add visual aids to your work.


Use the following technologies to make your own visuals:

Also, you can download maps, photographs, diagrams, and tables or charts from the Internet to use in your report. (Right click on the image and select “Save As” or “Save Image As”.) If you use visuals from other sources (that you have not made), be sure to include the source information in your bibliography.