A psychology study found that bar graphs representing averages were prone to misinterpretation. Plus, how to improve your data literacy.

You can make a bar graph in Excel by first selecting the range you want to depict, and then using the dropdown menu to select the desired chart.

It argues that bar graphs used to describe a continuum of data are often uninformative and misleading, and should be purged from much of the scientific literature.

Consider the following three key questions the next time you see a graph, map or other data visual so you can confidently decide what to do with that new nugget of information.

Shared on Facebook and Instagram, posts include a bar graph showing “murder of blacks and whites in the US, 2013” broken down by the races of the perpetrators. While the graph itself is ...