You trust the headline over the chart
And sometimes the two do not match.
Courses
Start with three things you can do today
How to read graphs and spot misleading charts
Read what a chart actually shows and spot when it is misleading.
Start with the parts of a chart people skip, the axes, units, labels and source, then learn the common ways a true number can be drawn to mislead. Each idea is practised on an example chart you check yourself, so the habit carries over to the news and to work.
Type this when Cadence asks what you want to learn
I want to read charts and graphs properly and notice when one is misleading. I see them in the news, at work and on social media, and I often take the headline at face value without checking what the chart actually shows.
Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.
Start today
Three things you can do before the course exists.
Useful on their own. The course is for when you want the whole skill, not just the first move.
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Look at where the bars start
Illustrative example: bars for 50 and 52 look as if one is double the other when the axis starts at 48. Bar length should represent the value, so a bar chart's axis should start at zero. When it does not, compare the numbers, not the bars.
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Check the time window
A line that climbs steeply from March may look ordinary if the chart began a year earlier. Ask why that start date was chosen, and look for a longer series from the original source before drawing a conclusion.
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Ask whether it should be a rate
A large city with twice the cases of a small one may have the same rate per person. Divide by population, or check whether the chart already did, before comparing places of different sizes.
Sources: UK Government Analysis Function: chart guidance, including not breaking the axis on bar charts. Practical examples are starting points, not promised results.
- Best for
- Math & numbers
- Prerequisites
- None. Bring the situation you have.
- Course length
- 7 to 30 lessons, sized to your goal
- Lesson pace
- About 10 minutes a day
- Format
- Read it, or play the audio
- Access
- Available on the App Store, with early features and Android testing access
Before the course is built
Setup asks about your situation first.
Lesson 1 opens on the moment you describe, and the examples use your role. For this request, expect questions like these.
- Where do you meet charts most: news, work reports, social media, or investing?
- How confident are you with percentages and scales?
- Is there a chart that fooled you, or one you want to check now?
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
You present data at work
And want your own charts to be honest and clear.
You argue about numbers online
And want to check a chart before sharing it.
Course arc
Where the course goes, in order.
Cadence writes the lessons for you, so the exact path follows your answers. This is the ground a course built from this sentence covers.
01 / 06Anatomy of a chart
Axes, scales, units, labels and source.
Choosing chart types
When bars, lines, pies and scatter plots fit the data.
Axes and scales
Where the axis starts, logarithmic scales and two axes on one chart.
Time windows
How choosing the start and end date can change the story.
Totals and rates
Why per person or percentage comparisons often matter more than raw counts.
Making honest charts
Applying the same checks to the charts you make yourself.
What changes
What you will be able to do, and what you will stop believing.
You will be able to
Read the frame
Check axes, units, labels, source and time window first.
Spot common tricks
Recognise truncated bar axes, cherry-picked dates and totals that should be rates.
Say what it shows
State a chart's message in one accurate sentence.
Ideas this course corrects
Every axis must start at zero
Bar charts should, because bar length represents the value. Line charts can start elsewhere when change is the point, provided the axis is clearly labelled.
If the numbers are true, the chart is honest
Accurate data can still mislead through its scale, its time window or what is left out.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
How to read graphs and spot misleading charts: what can I do today?
Look at where the bars start. Illustrative example: bars for 50 and 52 look as if one is double the other when the axis starts at 48. Bar length should represent the value, so a bar chart's axis should start at zero. When it does not, compare the numbers, not the bars. Check the time window. A line that climbs steeply from March may look ordinary if the chart began a year earlier. Ask why that start date was chosen, and look for a longer series from the original source before drawing a conclusion. Ask whether it should be a rate. A large city with twice the cases of a small one may have the same rate per person. Divide by population, or check whether the chart already did, before comparing places of different sizes.
Is this a fixed course?
No. Cadence builds the course when you type the sentence and answer a few setup questions, so the lessons follow your situation. This page describes what a course built from this request covers. You see the whole path before Lesson 1.
Who is this course for?
Start with the parts of a chart people skip, the axes, units, labels and source, then learn the common ways a true number can be drawn to mislead. Each idea is practised on an example chart you check yourself, so the habit carries over to the news and to work. It sits under Math & numbers in the Ideas & discovery part of the library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Setup asks what you already know and where you want to use it, and the course starts from there. Bring a real situation if you have one; the examples are built around it.
How long does it take?
Courses run 7 to 30 lessons of about 10 minutes, sized to what you asked for. One lesson a day is the intended pace, and you can go faster. Lessons can be read or played as audio.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Type it, answer a few questions, open Lesson 1.
The sentence to type
I want to read charts and graphs properly and notice when one is misleading. I see them in the news, at work and on social media, and I often take the headline at face value without checking what the chart actually shows.