ABSTRACT
Graphing data is an important step in the analysis process. Far too often researchers skip the graphing of their data and move directly into analysis without the insights that can come from first giving the data a careful visual examination. It is certainly tempting for researchers to bypass data exploration through graphical analysis and move directly into formal statistical modeling, given that the models are generally the tools used to answer research questions. However, if proper attention is not paid to the graphing of data, the formal statistical analyses may be poorly informed regarding the distribution of variables, and relationships among them.
