<P> A dot chart or dot plot is a statistical chart consisting of data points plotted on a fairly simple scale , typically using filled in circles . There are two common , yet very different , versions of the dot chart . The first has been used in hand - drawn ( pre-computer era ) graphs to depict distributions going back to 1884 . The other version is described by William S. Cleveland as an alternative to the bar chart , in which dots are used to depict the quantitative values ( e.g. counts ) associated with categorical variables . </P>
<P> A dot chart or dot plot is a statistical chart consisting of data points plotted on a fairly simple scale , typically using filled in circles . There are two common , yet very different , versions of the dot chart . The first has been used in hand - drawn ( pre-computer era ) graphs to depict distributions going back to 1884 . The other version is described by William S. Cleveland as an alternative to the bar chart , in which dots are used to depict the quantitative values ( e.g. counts ) associated with categorical variables . </P>
a dot plot can serve as an alternative to which type of graph
a dot plot can serve as an alternative to which type of graph
the bar chart
the bar chart