Feature request: Line graphs

Discuss the jamovi platform, possible improvements, etc.
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Tlight
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2019 4:00 pm

Feature request: Line graphs

Post by Tlight »

I have a nasty suspicion that this is in there somewhere, but I can't find it.

In order to use JAMOVI for basic undergrad courses, there needs to be a menu option, preferably in Descriptives -> Graphs, to create line graphs. Right now, I can't use the menus to create something like, say, the line graph of the income share for the top 1% of all income earners I've attached.

I know I can use R within JAMOVI to do this; no problem there. But line graphs should be available in the program itself, imho. They are a basic tool for both description and explanation.

If, in fact, this is already available and I've been too dense to see it, kindly show me the way and I'll be well content. If not, I think line graphs should be added forthwith.

I'm asking about this because I'm thinking seriously about using JAMOVI in methods courses and trying to get others to follow suit. It's a great program! Thanks for doing the work to bring it to us.
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jonathon
Posts: 2613
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 10:04 am

Re: Feature request: Line graphs

Post by jonathon »

hi,

no, you're right, it isn't in there. you could use the scatter plot from the scatr module.

what field are you coming from? (we're social scientists, so there's a definite bias in the sorts of visualizations we provide ... and this is the first request we've received for a line graph).

cheers

jonathon
Tlight
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2019 4:00 pm

Re: Feature request: Line graphs

Post by Tlight »

This is interesting.

I'm a political scientist by trade and I'm shocked that a tool so widely used in my discipline hasn't been requested yet. Line graphs abound in political science journals and in sociology as well. The example I included is from one of Lane Kenworthy's articles <https://lanekenworthy.net/income-inequality/> where, as you will see, there is nothing but a sophisticated display of line graphs. If you look at Kenworthy's work you will also see why having line graphs is a good idea for teaching undergrads; they can get to the gist of a subject quickly and use the pictures to illustrate their explanations.

Being able to graph multiple lines like Kenworthy's figures 3 and 4 would be a good edition too.

Thanks for looking into this so quickly. Btw, I'm glad I'm not as dense as I feared I was.
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reason180
Posts: 274
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 4:56 pm

Re: Feature request: Line graphs

Post by reason180 »

As a psychological scientist I use line graphs (with error bars) as often as I can. In jamovi, I get them by running an ANOVA and getting graphs of the estimated marginal means.
Tlight
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2019 4:00 pm

Re: Feature request: Line graphs

Post by Tlight »

Yes. JAMOVI has several routines that can return line graphs for estimates. I don't have any complaints about those.

What it lacks is what some people would call a "just plain data analysis" line graph where you can plot variables against time or another independent variable. These are extremely useful for illustrative purposes and are often all that's needed to test simple explanations. Comparisons of, say, several nations's spending on education across time can't be done at present without ginning up R and using ggplot.

There's nothing against that, of course, but if the app is to become widely used in basic methods courses, especially for undergrads, it needs a line graph routine that can be easily accessed..
Tlight
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2019 4:00 pm

Re: Feature request: Line graphs

Post by Tlight »

Any progress on getting a menu item for line graphs? I got in touch with Dustin Fife on this to see if he could get into flexplot, but it would be better if a "just plain data analysis" line graph was part of the regular program.
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