Dot plot (statistics)

A dot chart or dot plot is a statistical chart consisting of group of data points plotted on a simple scale. Dot plots are used for continuous, quantitative, univariate data. Data points may be labelled if there are few of them.

Dot plots are one of the simplest plots available, and are suitable for small to moderate sized data sets. They are useful for highlighting clusters and gaps, as well as outliers. Their other advantage is the conservation of numerical information. When dealing with larger data sets (around 20-30 or more data points) the related stemplot, box plot or histogram may be more efficient, as dot plots may become too cluttered after this point.