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Time Plots
Use Time Plots to look for patterns or trends in data over time. They can be equally as handy when collecting data or when displaying or communicating it. Plot time elapsed along the horizontal axis, and track the occurrence of the factor along the vertical axis. Be sure that the scales you use are constant along the entire length of the axis. Note that the existence of time-related effects may invalidate certain analytical techniques for a given data set. You can indicate any unit of time that you desire, whether it is 10 minute intervals, hourly, monthly or even yearly. In the example shown, data are displayed on a monthly scale. Sometimes it may be helpful to track more than one factor on a single chart, to see if they are correlated somehow (if they move in relation to one another). When doing this, be sure to use different colours for each factor. Also, be clear about the scales of measurement
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