182 ◆AUTHORING A PHD
variations of most of the other scores. Try to use zero wherever
feasible as the scale starting-point for a graph. Where you must
choose a starting-point different from zero (called ‘suppressing
the zero’), always indicate that you have done so, usually by
inserting a zigzag bit at the lower end of the relevant scale line,
or including a note to remind readers. It is also common to see
far too many gridlines and tick points being used on the vertical
or horizontal scales, which can make charts look cluttered.
Two- or three-dimensional charts. Figure 7.2 is made more
complex to read by the choice of a three-dimensional format,
with a ‘depth’ axis added by the spreadsheet. Many PhD stu-
dents choose 3D charts, thinking that they will look more
sophisticated but not focusing clearly on what extra value-
added the extra dimension gives (which is very little with only
one data series, as here). Where several data series are shown
together, adding the third dimension is potentially more useful,
(^1234)
(^56789)
(^1011121314)
15
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
Trtmnt rates/pop
Key: The health boards are as follows: 1 Argyll & Clyde; 2 Ayrshire & Arran; 3 Border;
4 Dumfries & Galloway; 5 Fife; 6 Forth Valley; 7 Grampian; 8 Greater Glasgow; 9 Highland;
10 Lanarkshire; 11 Lothian; 12 Orkney; 13 Shetland; 14 Tayside; 15 Western Isles.
Figure 7.2 How health boards compare