Geography Fieldwork
A Level
Graphs

1. Graphs
Your findings can be presented with a range of graphical and mapping techniques. You should be able to justify each one.
Bar chart
- Nominal data.
- Categories on x-axis.
- Bar height represents frequency.
- Leave gaps between bars as data are discontinuous.
There are many variations on the basic bar chart, such as divided bar chart, percentage bar chart and bi-polar analysis bar chart.
Histogram
- Interval or ratio data.
- Bar area shows frequency.
- Bars are not necessarily of equal width.
- No gaps between bars as data are continuous.

Pie chart
- Nominal or ordinal data.
- Area of circle segment represents proportion.
- Multiple pie charts can be used with the radius of the circle having meaning.
Line graph
- Ordinal, interval or ratio data.
- Both axes are numerical.
- If time is one of the variables, always plot it on the x-axis.
- Only join up the points if the data are continuous.
Scattergraph
- This needs one independent variable (on x-axis) and one dependent variable (on y-axis).
- Both axes need interval or ratio data, and both must be continuous data.
- Do not join up each point, but use a line of best fit instead.
