16. Data Visualization

Tufte gives us key concepts in data visualization, including the Lie Factor, the Data-Ink Ratio, and chartjunk.

Don’t compromise your vision because it is easier to use default Stata visual elements or graph types. You should create the graph that you want to create. It’s just a fun puzzle to figure out the syntax to do this.

I introduce the basic twoway graph in Stata and show how to add options to the graph, including changing titling and axis labels.

I show how to add multiple graphs to the same canvas, how to style the legend, and how to change the overall styling of the graph with different schemes and fonts.

Fitted lines visually highlight the relationship between two variables, while confidence intervals show the precision of fitted estimates. I also demonstrate how to add reference lines and text to graphs.

Bar graphs are one of the most common types of graphs, but somewhat tricky to customize in Stata. I show how to create bar graphs with confidence intervals.

Connected line graphs and distribution plots (like histograms and kernel density graphs) are other common graph types for M&E applications. You can combine graphs into the same image, and export any image to PDF, PNG, or other file types.