Radial Plot

The radial plot is a graphical method for displaying and comparing observations that have differing precisions. Standardized observations are plotted against the precisions, where precision is defined as the reciprocal of the standard error. The original observations are given by slopes of lines through the origin. A scale of slopes is sometimes drawn explicitly.

Suppose, for example, that data are available on the degree classes obtained by students graduating from a university and that we wish to compare, for different major subjects, the proportions of students who achieved upper second-class honors or higher. Typically, different numbers of students graduate in different subjects. A radial plot will display the data as proportions so that they may be compared easily, allowing for the different sample sizes. Similarly, a ...