How do you make a misleading graph? - Answers

The most obvious is to be selective in the data that is used to make a graph. Suppose I want to show how much more money I am making, I might chose to show my income. However, if I really want to show that I was doing well, I should also show my expenses. I can also be selective in the time period or in the way I average the data. In the previous example, perhaps I show my income as dollars per month, and don't show how many months I worked. The graph might look like I'm making more, but the opposite could be true if you don't know how many months I have been working. If you want to show that students arrive late to school, you might pick a period where there is a bad storm. You can change the scales on your graph to distort the correct interpretation. See related link for more examples.