The following graphic is adapted from one in Wainer (1984), plotting the number of private and public elementary schools (in thousands) in the U.S. between 1930 and 1970. Wainer was presenting it as a bad example, and I have made it worse. What is bad about this example?

A) The three dimensional effect only makes the graph harder to read.
B) Any change in the number of private schools is difficult to see.
C) The time intervals on the abscissa are too broad.
D) a and b but not c

Question

The following graphic is adapted from one in Wainer (1984) , plotting the number of private and public elementary schools (in thousands) in the U.S. between 1930 and 1970. Wainer was presenting it as a bad example, and I have made it worse. What is bad about this example?

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A) The three dimensional effect only makes the graph harder to read. 
B) Any change in the number of private schools is difficult to see. 
C) The time intervals on the abscissa are too broad. 
D) a and b but not c

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The three dimensional effect adds unnecessary visual clutter and makes it harder to distinguish the data. Additionally, the scale of the y-axis is not consistent, making it difficult to accurately compare changes in the number of private schools over time.

The Following Graphic Is Adapted from One in Wainer (1984)