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PlotsOfData—A web app for visualizing data together with their summaries

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  • Marten Postma
  • Joachim Goedhart

Abstract

Reporting of the actual data in graphs and plots increases transparency and enables independent evaluation. On the other hand, data summaries are often used in graphs because they aid interpretation. To democratize state-of-the-art data visualization of raw data with a selection of statistical summaries, a freely available, open-source web app was written using R/shiny that uses the ggplot2 package for generating plots. Users can to choose how to display the data and which of the data summaries to add. In addition, the 95% confidence intervals (95CIs) can be added for visual inferences. By adjusting the visibility of the layers, the visualization of the raw data and their summaries can be tuned for optimal presentation and interpretation. The app is dubbed PlotsOfData and is available at https://huygens.science.uva.nl/PlotsOfData/.This Community Page article describes PlotsOfData, an intuitive web-based tool for state-of-the-art visualization of data and statistics, without the need for coding skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Marten Postma & Joachim Goedhart, 2019. "PlotsOfData—A web app for visualizing data together with their summaries," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(3), pages 1-8, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pbio00:3000202
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000202
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tracey L Weissgerber & Natasa M Milic & Stacey J Winham & Vesna D Garovic, 2015. "Beyond Bar and Line Graphs: Time for a New Data Presentation Paradigm," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(4), pages 1-10, April.
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    1. Joachim Goedhart, 2020. "PlotTwist: A web app for plotting and annotating continuous data," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(1), pages 1-10, January.
    2. Adam Byron & Billie G. C. Griffith & Ana Herrero & Alexander E. P. Loftus & Emma S. Koeleman & Linda Kogerman & John C. Dawson & Niamh McGivern & Jayne Culley & Graeme R. Grimes & Bryan Serrels & Alex, 2022. "Characterisation of a nucleo-adhesome," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Bill Söderström & Matthew J. Pittorino & Daniel O. Daley & Iain G. Duggin, 2022. "Assembly dynamics of FtsZ and DamX during infection-related filamentation and division in uropathogenic E. coli," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Heather Schiller & Yirui Hong & Joshua Kouassi & Theopi Rados & Jasmin Kwak & Anthony DiLucido & Daniel Safer & Anita Marchfelder & Friedhelm Pfeiffer & Alexandre Bisson & Stefan Schulze & Mechthild P, 2024. "Identification of structural and regulatory cell-shape determinants in Haloferax volcanii," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    5. Frederic Li Mow Chee & Bruno Beernaert & Billie G. C. Griffith & Alexander E. P. Loftus & Yatendra Kumar & Jimi C. Wills & Martin Lee & Jessica Valli & Ann P. Wheeler & J. Douglas Armstrong & Maddy Pa, 2023. "Mena regulates nesprin-2 to control actin–nuclear lamina associations, trans-nuclear membrane signalling and gene expression," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, December.

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