For the graph to represent your data most effectively, consider the following guidelines.
- The sample size should be medium to large
- Although there are no formal guidelines for the amount of data needed for a scatterplot, larger samples more clearly indicate patterns in the data.
- The sample data should be selected randomly
- In statistics, random samples are used to make generalizations, or inferences, about a population. If your data were not collected randomly, your results may not represent the population.