Ordinal data

Integer values from limited ranges

Roland Krause

MADS6

Tuesday, 3 December 2024

Visualising ordinal data

Ordinal data

Ordered categorical data

  • Ordered factors
  • Binned numerical data
  • Categorical data

Examples

  • Likert scale
    • Strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, strongly agree
  • Rankings by stars
  • Count data in small total counts

Worked example

Sample

Rows: 150
Columns: 6
$ `Question 1` <fct> Strongly disagree, Strongly agree, Strongly disagree, Str…
$ `Question 2` <fct> Disagree, Strongly disagree, Strongly disagree, Strongly …
$ `Question 3` <fct> Agree, Agree, Agree, Strongly agree, Agree, Disagree, Str…
$ `Question 4` <fct> Disagree, Strongly agree, Neither agree nor disagree, Nei…
$ `Question 5` <fct> Strongly agree, Strongly agree, Strongly disagree, Strong…
$ `Question 6` <fct> Strongly disagree, Strongly disagree, Agree, Agree, Stron…

Uninspiring bar chart

Better barchart

Improved barchart

As stacked bar chart - y-x

As small multiple

As violin plots

As box plots

As stacked bar chart

As pie charts

As Likert scale plot

Rational Experiental Inventory data

I enjoy thinking in abstract terms.

Conclusion

Options for ordinal data

  • Small multiple bar charts
  • “Likert plots” for ratings
  • Stacked bar charts

Avoid summaries for discrete data

  • Box plots
  • Violin plots

Pie charts are for pie

And some special items such parliaments Additional effort to get right for orientation.

Resources