Scatterplots

Scatterplots are graphical displays that explore relationships between variables by plotting points at the coordinates of the variables being plotted. The simplest scatterplots are used to explore bivariate relationships between two variables. These variables are traditionally both quantitative; however, this does not need to be the case. Scatterplots plot the (x, y) coordinates of the two variables of interest and every point in the plot represents an individual data point. This entry explores in more detail the creation, uses, and limitations of scatterplots in educational research.

Basic Scatterplot Creation

In the simplest most common case, scatterplots are made by plotting the (x, y) coordinates of two variables in a data set. The example in Figure 1 uses school district data to show the relationship between the percent ...

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