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Dot Plot

See individual data points to spot clusters, gaps, and outliers in your data.

Quick Start

Create your first dot plot in less than two minutes →

What is a Dot Plot?

A dot plot displays each observation as a dot along a number line. When multiple observations share the same value (or fall within the same interval), their dots stack vertically, giving you a visual sense of frequency without losing sight of individual data points.

Dot plots are ideal for small to moderate datasets where you want to see every observation. For larger datasets, histograms or box plots may be more appropriate since they summarize the distribution rather than showing each point.

When to Use a Dot Plot

  • When you want to see the shape of a distribution with every data point visible
  • When you need to spot clusters, gaps, or isolated values in your data
  • When you want to compare distributions across multiple columns or groups
  • When your dataset is small to moderate in size

Dot Scaling for Large Datasets

When a dataset is too large to show every observation individually, Quantum XL scales the dots so that a single dot may represent multiple observations. A note appears on the chart when this occurs.

Example Output

A typical dot plot shows dots arranged along a horizontal axis representing data values. Dots at the same value stack vertically, making it easy to see which values occur most frequently and where gaps exist in the data.

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