Variations of Box Plots

TLDR

Box plots summarize data using five key statistics—minimum, lower hinge, median, upper hinge, and maximum—and are widely used for exploratory data analysis by statisticians and nonstatisticians. The authors describe three variants of the basic box plot display. The first variant shows group size, the second indicates rough significance of median differences, and the third combines both features. The techniques are illustrated with examples.

Abstract

Abstract Box plots display batches of data. Five values from a set of data are conventionally used; the extremes, the upper and lower hinges (quartiles), and the median. Such plots are becoming a widely used tool in exploratory data analysis and in preparing visual summaries for statisticians and nonstatisticians alike. Three variants of the basic display, devised by the authors, are described. The first visually incorporates a measure of group size; the second incorporates an indication of rough significance of differences between medians; the third combines the features of the first two. These techniques are displayed by examples.