Shut up about the y-axis. It shouldn’t always start at zero.

Vox
3 HN recommenders · recommended in 2 months, 2015–2017
YouTube
1M views · 10 years ago · explainer · evergreen

Vox argues in this short video that a chart's y-axis does not always have to start at zero. It explains when a truncated axis is reasonable and when it misleads.

HN resubmits it and uses it in chart-honesty arguments, as backing for the point that shifting the y-axis can be misleading but is not always wrong.

“The y-axis doesn't always have to start at 0.”
Data visualization
#y-axis#charts#misleadinggraphs#datavisualization#vox

4 comments from Hacker News

n
@nileshtrivedi2017 · in “Shut up about the y-axis. It shouldn’t always start at zero (Vox, 2015)”
Submitted the video to Hacker News.
RecommendsView on HN
e
@eduadecastro2015 · in “Shut up about the y-axis. It shouldn’t always start at zero. [video]”
Submitted the video to Hacker News.
RecommendsView on HN
o
@oxplot2015 · in “Shut up about the y-axis. It shouldn’t always start at zero”
Submitted the video to Hacker News.
RecommendsView on HN
a
@audunw2016 · in “Charts That Scare Wall Street”
The y-axis doesn't always have to start at 0. Shifting the y-axis CAN be used to manipulate how the data is perceived, but that doesn't mean it ALWAYS should start at 0. In fact, that can sometimes also be very misleading. ▶ this video
CitesView on HN