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This tutorial offers a quick look at the basics of working with data and graphing.

Scientists gather data to learn about the natural world. Data can be organized into graphs, which are “pictures” or visual representations of the data. Because they can condense and organize large amounts of information, graphs are often easier to interpret than a simple list of numbers. They show relationships between two or more variables that help us determine whether the variables are correlated in any way and allow us to look for trends or patterns that might emerge. To be effective, graphs should be constructed according to conventions, and must be accurately plotted and properly labeled. Certain types of graphs are more suitable than others to show particular types of data, so it is important to choose the correct graph for your data.

The following sections describe variables found in graphs; data tables; and the types of graphs commonly used in environmental science.