Multi-Variable Grouped Bar Chart

This plotting tool creates vertically-stacked bar charts for multiple numeric variables and one categorical variable. Each individual bar chart can display the data for either one group or one variable.

This plot can be accessed from the Plot / Multi-variable grouped bar chart menu item.

The dialog for displaying a bar chart of multiple variables

To produce this plot, the following must be specified:

  • Whether all of the data should be used, or only the data values highlighted on the map and in the table.

  • One or more numeric variables, selected from the list on the left side of the dialog. Control-click and shift-click can be used to select multiple variables.

  • A single categorical variable for grouping the numeric data.

  • The method of aggregating values of each variable within each group. Alternatives are the arithmetic mean (the default), the geometric mean, the harmonic mean, the minimum, the maximum, the median, the count, and the sum.

After all this information has been specified, the aggregated data will be shown as a vertically stacked set of bar plots, with a separate plot for each variable, and a separate bar for each category.

The default arrangement of the mult-variable grouped bar plot.

The Control-R keystroke will reverse the orientation, so that there is a separate plot for each category, and a separate bar for each variable.

The alternate arrangement of the mult-variable grouped bar plot.

The Alt-T keystroke will prompt for a title and display it at the top of the plot.

The “Source Data” button at the bottom of the dialog shows all of the selected data. The “Plot Data” button shows these data after aggregation. These tables can be saved to a file with the Ctrl-S keystroke.

When a single variable is selected and data are aggregated by the arithmetic mean, the plot that is produced, in the default orientation, will be the same as the one that can be produced with the ‘Mean by category’ plot.