Suitability of qualitative and quantitative data for visualisation

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Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. A column of daily sales totals in dollars. Can it be charted directly as a column graph?

A Yes, it is quantitative so the numbers can be charted directly

B No, it must be coded into categories first

2. Open-ended survey answers such as 'The app is too slow'. What must happen before they can be visualised?

A Code or summarise them into categories and counts

B Plot each sentence directly on a bar chart

3. Which data is better suited to a scatter graph without any preparation?

A Free-text comments about a teacher

B Hours studied and test scores (two numeric columns)

4. A survey asks 'What do you like most about the school canteen?' and collects typed answers. How can you turn them into a chart?

A Chart the answers as they are, since text can be plotted

B Group answers into codes like 'Price' or 'Variety', then count each code

5. Which statement is correct about visualising data?

A Qualitative data becomes chartable once it is converted to counts

B Quantitative data must always be coded before charting

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1Ratings: 4, 7, 9, 6, 8		AQualitative data: text that must be coded or summarised into categories and counts before it can be charted
2Comments: "Too slow", "Loved it", "Confusing"		BQuantitative data: numbers that can be plotted straight onto a column or line chart without any changes
3Qualitative responses are coded into categories and then counted so they become quantitative data that can be charted		C=COUNTIF(C2:C50,"Positive")
4Quantitative data can be charted directly, so you can choose to summarise it with a function such as an average		DRaw text comments cannot be plotted as values. They must first be coded into themes and counted.
5Column chart of the raw comments: "Too slow", "Loved it", "Confusing"		EQuantitative data like ages is already numeric and can be charted directly. Coding it is unnecessary and loses detail.
6Coding the ages 14, 15, 16 as text labels before graphing them		F=AVERAGE(B2:B50)

Definitions

Suitability for visualisation

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

=_______(B2:B30,"Satisfied")

SELECT house, _____(*) FROM students GROUP BY house;

=IF(B2="Agree",_,0)

SELECT house, COUNT(*) FROM students ________ house;

=_______(C2:C30)

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A answers ← comments column

B themes ← CODE(answers)

C counts ← COUNT(themes)

D DRAW bar chart OF answers

Question 2

A scores ← [88, 74, 95, 52]

B type ← NUMBERS

C CODE scores, then DRAW graph

Question 3

A A2:A9 ← coded themes

B D2 ← 'Praise'

C D3 ← 'Bug'

D E2 ← SUM(A2:A9)

Question 4

A prices ← ['low','mid','high']

B DRAW bar chart OF prices

C // numbers need no coding

Question 5

A ratings ← column B (1 to 5)

B comments ← column C (text)

C result ← AVERAGE(comments)

D DRAW column graph OF result

Answer Key

Suitability of qualitative and quantitative data for visualisation

Section A: Quick Questions

A — Yes, it is quantitative so the numbers can be charted directly

A — Code or summarise them into categories and counts

B — Hours studied and test scores (two numeric columns)

B — Group answers into codes like 'Price' or 'Variety', then count each code

A — Qualitative data becomes chartable once it is converted to counts

Section B: Match the Pairs

Ratings: 4, 7, 9, 6, 8 → Quantitative data: numbers that can be plotted straight onto a column or line chart without any changes

Comments: "Too slow", "Loved it", "Confusing" → Qualitative data: text that must be coded or summarised into categories and counts before it can be charted

Qualitative responses are coded into categories and then counted so they become quantitative data that can be charted → =COUNTIF(C2:C50,"Positive")

Quantitative data can be charted directly, so you can choose to summarise it with a function such as an average → =AVERAGE(B2:B50)

Column chart of the raw comments: "Too slow", "Loved it", "Confusing" → Raw text comments cannot be plotted as values. They must first be coded into themes and counted.

Coding the ages 14, 15, 16 as text labels before graphing them → Quantitative data like ages is already numeric and can be charted directly. Coding it is unnecessary and loses detail.

Section C: Definitions

Suitability for visualisation — Quantitative data can be charted directly as numbers. Qualitative data (text) must first be coded or summarised into counts or categories before it can be charted.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

=COUNTIF(B2:B30,"Satisfied")

SELECT house, COUNT(*)
FROM students
GROUP BY house;

=IF(B2="Agree",1,0)

SELECT house, COUNT(*)
FROM students
GROUP BY house;

=AVERAGE(C2:C30)

Section E: Spot the Error

D — Raw text comments cannot be charted. They must be coded into themes and counted first. It should be DRAW bar chart OF counts.

C — Quantitative data such as scores is already numeric, so it needs no coding. It can be charted directly: DRAW column graph OF scores.

D — SUM cannot add text codes. COUNTIF counts how often each coded theme appears, which turns the text into numbers that can be charted.

A — The program treats prices as numbers that chart directly. Text labels like 'low' would need coding first. Line 1 should hold numeric values.

C — You cannot average text comments. Choose the numeric ratings to manipulate for the chart: AVERAGE(ratings).