Top 6 Ways to Visualize & Present Likert Scale Data

Effectively visualizing survey data is essential for extracting meaningful insights and making informed decisions. Likert scale data, commonly used to gauge attitudes, opinions, or behaviors, is a popular choice for many types of surveys.

Whether you are assessing customer satisfaction, employee feedback, or educational outcomes, visualizing and presenting Likert scale data clearly and engagingly can significantly enhance understanding and communication.

In this blog, we will explore the process of preparing Likert scale data for visualization, discuss various visualization techniques, and highlight best practices to ensure your presentations are both accurate and impactful.

Table of Content:

1. Preparing Likert Scale Data for Presentation
2. Choosing the Right Visualization To Present Likert Data
3. How to Analyze Likert Scale Data: Methods
4. How to Present Likert Scale Data?
   • Visualizing 3-Point Likert Scale Data
   • Visualizing 5-Point Likert Scale Data
   • Visualizing 7-Point Likert Scale Data
   • Visualizing 10-Point Likert Scale Data
5. Understand the Different Properties of the Likert Scale Chart
6. Common Challenges While Presenting Likert Scale Data
7. Best Practices for Presenting Likert Scale Data
8. How to Present Likert Scale Data FAQs
9. Wrap Up

Preparing Likert Scale Data for Presentation

To visualize Likert scale data effectively, proper preparation is key. This involves several crucial steps: data collection, data cleaning, and data coding.

• Data Collection

Start by gathering high-quality data through well-designed surveys. Ensure your Likert scale questions are clear and consistent throughout the survey.

Common Likert scales include 5-point Likert Scale and 7-point Likert Scale options, ranging from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree.” Consistency in scale points is vital for accurate analysis.

• Data Cleaning

After collecting your data, the next step is to clean it. This means checking for and addressing missing values, ensuring responses fall within the expected range, and correcting any obvious errors. Clean data is essential for reliable analysis and visualization.

• Data Coding

To analyze Likert scale data, convert qualitative responses (e.g., “Strongly Agree”) into quantitative values (e.g., 5 for “Strongly Agree” down to 1 for “Strongly Disagree”). This coding process facilitates statistical analysis and easier visualization. Consistency in coding across your dataset is crucial for maintaining accuracy.

Choosing the Right Visualization To Present Likert Data

When it comes to presenting Likert scale data, selecting the appropriate visualization technique is crucial for effectively conveying your findings. Here’s a breakdown of some commonly used visualization techniques and their suitability for presenting Likert scale data:

1. Likert Scale Chart: The Likert Scale Chart is a graphical representation of the Likert Scale. It helps you to quantify the strength of people’s feelings and/or emotions. You’re able to visualize the degree to which people agree or disagree with a statement.
2. Bar Charts: Bar charts are a versatile option for presenting Likert scale data, allowing you to easily compare response frequencies across different categories or groups. Each response category is represented by a separate bar, making it easy to visualize the distribution of responses.
3. Histograms: Histograms provide a visual representation of the frequency distribution of Likert scale responses. By grouping responses into bins or intervals, histograms allow you to see the overall pattern of responses and identify any outliers or skewed distributions.
4. Stacked Bar Charts: Stacked bar charts are useful for comparing the relative proportions of responses within each category or group. By stacking the bars on top of each other, you can see how the distribution of responses changes across different subgroups or variables.
5. Heatmaps: Heatmaps are effective for visualizing the intensity or concentration of responses across multiple Likert scale items or variables. By color-coding response frequencies, heatmaps provide a quick and intuitive way to identify patterns and trends within the data.
6. Radar Charts: Radar charts, also known as spider charts or web charts, are ideal for comparing responses across multiple Likert scale items or dimensions. Each response category is represented by a point on the radar chart, allowing you to see how responses vary across different variables.

How to Analyze Likert Scale Data: Methods

Frequency Analysis

• Count and display the distribution of responses for each Likert scale option.
• Use bar charts or pie charts to visualize trends and highlight popular opinions.

Descriptive Statistics

• Calculate the mean, median, and standard deviation to summarize central tendencies and response variability.

Summative Scoring

• Assign numerical values to Likert items, then compute total or average scores to assess overall sentiment or attitudes.

Cross-Tabulation

• Compare Likert responses across different demographic groups or variables to identify patterns or differences.

Nonparametric Tests

• Use tests like the Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis test to compare responses, as Likert data is ordinal in nature.

How to Present Likert Scale Data?

First of all, you need to make your survey data as filled in the below table.

Tabular data for the Likert Scale Chart should include questions, scales, and responses.

• Questions are those phrases that you asked in the survey.
• The scale ranges from one extreme positive attitude to a negative attitude.
• Responses are the number of people who answered the survey for an individual range.

For example, you asked, “How do you rate our product?” These are your questions and you used 2 Likert Scale. 1 for (Dissatisfy) and 2 (Satisfy). These 1 and 2 are your Scales. Suppose 34 people answered for 1 (Dissatisfy) and 45 people answered for 2 (Satisfy). So you got 34 responses for 1 and 45 responses for 2.

This is how you will create your data.

Questions	Scale	Responses
How do you rate our product?	1	34
How do you rate our product?	2	45

Case Study

You have the survey data for cleaning services. You need the information to better optimize the services to suit your client’s needs. The questions included in the  survey were:

• How do you rate our cleaning staff’s behavior?
• How do you rate our cleaning services?
• Do you recommend our cleaning services?

In this guide, we will discuss 3, 5, 7, and 10 scales to create charts. Let’s begin.

If you have not installed ChartExpo Google Sheets Add-on, you can install it from here.

Visualizing 3-Point Likert Scale Data

Here are a few details you need to know while creating a Likert Scale Chart in Google Sheets.

Scale Understanding

For every response specific scale is provided. Which will be required to draw the visualization. Let’s understand the scale in the “3 scales Likert Scale Chart”.

• 1 = Disagree
• 2 = Neutral
• 3 = Agree

Prepare data for 3-scales Likert Scale Chart

Your data should be prepared as shown below.

Questions	Scale	Responses
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	1	324
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	2	176
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	3	230
How do you rate our cleaning services?	1	138
How do you rate our cleaning services?	2	186
How do you rate our cleaning services?	3	176
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	1	0
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	2	138
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	3	186

• Once you are done with the ChartExpo Google Sheets Add-on installation. Simply, copy data from the above table and paste it into Google Sheets then go to the Add-ons or Extensions menu, find “ChartExpo – Best Data Visualization Tool, and click on Open.

• Now click on the Create New Chart button.

• You will find the Likert Scale Chart under the category of “Specialized Survey Charts”.

• After clicking on the Likert Scale Chart you will find some attributes that should be filled in to draw this chart.

Create a Likert Scale Chart in 5 simple steps

• Step 1: Select the relevant sheet name.
• Step 2: Select the column of Questions.
• Step 3: Select the column of Scale.
• Step 4: Select the column of Responses.

• Step 5: Once you filled in these attributes you can click on the “Create Chart” button.

Note: When you click on the Create Chart button by default chart will be drawn on 5 scales. You have to change a few chart properties to get 3 3-sheet Likert Scale Charts.

• The default visualization shown in the window is not based on 3 Scales to make it according to 3 scales you need to go to Chart Settings as highlighted below.

• Look for Scale Type.

• In Scale Type, you can choose Scale.

• In our case, we will choose a 3-scale option.

• After selecting a scale of 3. Click on Apply.

• Your 3 Scale Chart is ready to present!

Let’s discuss a Few things about the Likert Scale Chart.

Question Section will have a phrase whichever you used in your question.

The bar is divided into different sections and each section has its inner labels.

Stats is the overall scale or rating for your question and it is auto-calculated.

In the bar, you can see there are three different colors used, so the viewer can easily differentiate the responses. If you look into this mapping you will notice that

Scale 1 (Dissatisfy) is mapped on the red bar

Scale 2 (Neutral) is mapped on grey

Scale 3 (Satisfy) is mapped on green.

The width of each bar is calculated based on the response values.

There are a few properties that you need to know that can help you to change the aesthetic of this chart. These properties are explained in detail later in this guide. Click here to go directly to the properties section.

Visualizing 5-Point Likert Scale Data

Scale Understanding

For every response specific scale is provided. Which will be required to draw the visualization. Let’s understand the scaling in the 5-scale Likert Scale Chart.

• 1 = Strongly Disagree
• 2 = Disagree
• 3 = Neutral
• 4 = Agree
• 5 = Strongly Agree

Prepare data for 5-scale Likert Scale Chart

Suppose you have data of 5-scale survey data for the same questions.

Questions	Scale	Responses
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	1	35
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	2	219
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	3	146
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	4	45
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	5	193
How do you rate our cleaning services?	1	180
How do you rate our cleaning services?	2	204
How do you rate our cleaning services?	3	129
How do you rate our cleaning services?	4	193
How do you rate our cleaning services?	5	134
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	1	274
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	2	5
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	3	105
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	4	3
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	5	253

• You can choose the Likert Scale Chart under the category of Specialized Survey Charts.

• This time you don’t need to change any property to convert this chart to 5-scales. Because by default ChartExpo shows Likert Scale Chart with 5-Scales.

• Click here to go directly to the properties section.

Visualizing 7-Point Likert Scale Data

Scale Understanding

For every response specific scale is provided. Which will be required to draw the visualization. Let’s understand the scaling in the 7 scales Likert Scale Chart.

• 1 = Strongly Disagree
• 2 = Disagree
• 3 = Partially Disagree
• 4 = Neutral
• 5 = Partially Agree
• 6 = Agree
• 7 = Strongly Agree

Prepare data for 7-scales Likert Scale Chart

Let’s make a Likert Scale Chart for 7 scales. For this, we will use an old example but will add more scales to it.

Questions	Scale	Responses
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	1	247
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	2	216
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	3	23
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	4	149
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	5	196
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	6	124
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	7	80
How do you rate our cleaning services?	1	291
How do you rate our cleaning services?	2	252
How do you rate our cleaning services?	3	203
How do you rate our cleaning services?	4	179
How do you rate our cleaning services?	5	97
How do you rate our cleaning services?	6	292
How do you rate our cleaning services?	7	142
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	1	205
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	2	100
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	3	200
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	4	238
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	5	258
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	6	75
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	7	130

• Choose the Likert Scale Chart under the category of Specialized Survey Charts.

Create a Likert Scale Chart in 5 simple steps

• Step 1: Select the relevant sheet name.
• Step 2: Select the column of Questions.
• Step 3: Select the column of Scale.
• Step 4: Select the column of Responses.
• Step 5: Click on Create Chart after selecting all columns.

• By default, the chart will be drawn on 5 scales. You can change to 7 scales by clicking on Chart Settings. From Scale Type property set scale on 7. Click on Apply.

• Once you apply the settings, the chart will be converted to a 7-scales Likert Scale Chart.

• Click here to go directly to the properties section.

Visualizing 10-Point Likert Scale Data

Scale Understanding

For every response specific scale is provided. Which will be required by the chart to draw the visualization. Let’s understand the scaling in the 10-point Likert Scale.

• 1 = Strongly Disagree
• 2 = Moderately Disagree
• 3 = Little More Disagree
• 4 = Mildly Disagree
• 5 = Partially Disagree
• 6 = Partially Agree
• 7 = Mildly Agree
• 8 = Little More Agree
• 9 = Moderately Agree
• 10 = Strongly Agree

Prepare data for 10-scale Likert Scale Chart

• The below table is to prepare data for a 10-scale Likert Scale Chart to be drawn by ChartExpo.

Questions	Scale	Responses
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	1	229
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	2	76
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	3	110
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	4	50
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	5	150
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	6	167
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	7	224
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	8	170
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	9	10
How do you rate our cleaning staff behavior?	10	147
How do you rate our cleaning services?	1	71
How do you rate our cleaning services?	2	73
How do you rate our cleaning services?	3	85
How do you rate our cleaning services?	4	238
How do you rate our cleaning services?	5	91
How do you rate our cleaning services?	6	152
How do you rate our cleaning services?	7	51
How do you rate our cleaning services?	8	18
How do you rate our cleaning services?	9	20
How do you rate our cleaning services?	10	148
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	1	233
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	2	46
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	3	144
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	4	246
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	5	129
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	6	126
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	7	234
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	8	228
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	9	182
Will you recommend our services in your circle?	10	190

• Select Specialized Survey Charts under this category you will find the Likert Scale Chart.

Create a Likert Scale Chart in 5 simple steps

• Step 1: Select the relevant sheet name.
• Step 2: Select the column of Questions.
• Step 3: Select the column of Scale.
• Step 4: Select the column of Responses.
• Step 5: After doing prerequisites click on Create Chart.

• This visualization is on 5 scale Likert Scale Chart. Change this visualization on 10 scale From Chart Setting. Go to Scale Type property and select 10 from Scale.

• Here is your visualization.

Understand the Different Properties of the Likert Scale Chart

1- How to add a heading, footer, and left label on the Chart?

• Click on Edit Chart.

• Click on Chart Header pencil icon.

• Click on Text.

• Here you can add text as per your requirement. You can show header text in 2 lines.

• Then comes the “Show” button, which can be enabled and disabled to show the header on the chart.

• You can change font style of header from Font Style. Here you can apply font styles on your header as per your requirement.

• Here we will just change the size of font to 20. If you are done with your changes of font style, click on Apply.

• Our header is added, you can find it on the top center of the chart.

• You can add footer by going to pencil icon in the bottom.

• Through this new property window you can add footer.

• Here we just add a random footer Likert Scale Chart.

• You can also add left label by clicking on highlighted pencil icon.

• Here you can add left label as per your requirement.

• Again let’s add random left label.

2-How to change the properties of the chart?

• Click on the pencil icon on the left on the Overall bars.

• The first property in this new window is Bar.

• From the “Bar” section you can select minimum, maximum height, gaps b/w bars, and Gap b/w axis.

• Then comes “Bar Color” section, from here you can individually change bar colors. Later this section is explained in detail. Click here to go to bar color properties section.
• With “Inner Label” property you can show or hide Inner Labels.

• Let explore the font of Inner Label. In this section, you can change the font style. Let’s bold Inner Labels and change its color.

Next, let’s see the “Question” section:

• You can show or hide questions (bar labels).
• You can add numbering to questions by Showing question no.
• Total Responses can show or hide by showing total property.
• Box can be shown or hidden by Show box property.
• You can adjustthe  Background color of question labels.

• Below that you will find the “Question Font Style” section. In this property section, you can change the font style of questions. For this case let adjust questions font size to 18.

• When you click on Stats. You can show or hide Stats with enable disable button . You can also select the background color of Stats.

• Now, let’s look into Stats Font Style property. In this we will make Stats italic.

• Once done with all changes click on Apply All.

• You will see all changes after they are applied.  Colors of labels, font size etc. all you changed have been updated in this chart below.

3-How to change the base colors of bars?

• Click on Chart Settings.

• Go to Scale Type. You will find property for changing base colors of bars.

• If you scroll down a bit. You will see Negative Base Color, Neutral Default Color, and Positive Base Color options.
• Let’s change the color of Negative Base Color to blue, Neutral Default Color to black, and Positive Base Color to yellow.

• After choosing the required colors click on Apply.

 

If you want to individually change the bar colors, click here to that section.

4-How to change scale colors?

• As discussed earlier the colors of the axis didn’t look like this. Here we will explain how you change them.

• You can change the colors of the Scale by clicking on the pencil icon on the Scale.

• Click on Axis Label Font Style.

• Let’s first change the color of Detractor Color to blue, Neutral Color to black, and Promoter Color to yellow. After selecting all the colors click on Apply button to save changes.

• Our visualization should look like this.

• Don’t forget to save chart with applied properties, Click on “Save Button” for saving the chart settings.

• Here is our final visualization with changed properties.

How do you add charts to the sheet and Export work?

• If click on the “Add a chart to sheet button” this visualization will appear on your Google sheet main page where your data was available.

• The other button is “Export”, If you click on the Export button it will ask you whether you want visualization in jpg or png format.

• Once you choose any option it will automatically download on your computer.

How to change Width and Height of chart?

• You can change the Width of the chart by sliding the highlighted dot.

 

• If you slide highlighted dots of width or height to right will increase width or height of chart. The maximum width goes up to 1200px and minimum width goes up to 100. The maximum height goes up to 750px and minimum height goes up to 333.

How does the “Reset all” button work?

• If you click on Reset all button all setting wipe out and visualization will go to 5-Scale Likert Scale Chart with default properties settings.

• A new window will appear click on Yes.

Note: After Resetting all, your chart will default go to 5 Scale Likert Scale Chart with default properties settings. You should use this feature carefully.

How to change the color of each section of the bar?

• Click on Edit Chart.

• Click on the pencil icon on the left on Overall bars.

• Go to Bars Color.

• When you explore it you will find color property for each Rating.

• After changing colors click on Apply All. You will find a quick change in the aesthetics of your charts.

• Click on the “Save button” so that all changes you have made should be preserved accordingly.
• You can use the Likert Scale Chart anywhere after saving it. You can create your own Likert Scale Chart for your data as well.
• If you still have any questions you can contact us at support@chartexpo.com at any time for better assistance.

Addressing Common Challenges While Presenting Likert Scale Data

While presenting Likert scale data, researchers may encounter several common challenges that can impact the accuracy and interpretation of their findings. Here are some strategies for addressing these challenges:

1. Small Sample Sizes: When working with small sample sizes, be cautious when concluding the data. Consider aggregating data across multiple studies or periods to increase sample size and improve statistical validity.
2. Neutral Responses: Neutral responses, such as “neither agree nor disagree,” can skew the distribution of responses and make it challenging to interpret the data. Consider collapsing neutral responses with adjacent categories or excluding them from the analysis altogether, depending on the research objectives.
3. Response Bias: Response bias occurs when respondents provide inaccurate or dishonest responses due to social desirability, acquiescence, or other factors. To minimize response bias, ensure that survey questions are clear, unbiased, and relevant to respondents, and consider using techniques such as randomized response or anonymity to encourage honest responses.
4. Data Cleaning and Validation: Before analyzing Likert scale data, thoroughly clean and validate the data to identify and correct any errors or inconsistencies. Check for missing or incomplete responses, outliers, and data entry errors, and consider conducting sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of your findings.
5. Choosing Appropriate Analysis Techniques: Select analysis techniques that are appropriate for the type and distribution of your Likert scale data. Depending on the research objectives, you may use parametric or non-parametric statistical tests, factor analysis, or other multivariate techniques to analyze and interpret the data effectively.

Best Practices for Presenting Likert Scale Data

Effective presentation of Likert scale data involves careful attention to clarity and comprehension. Here are some best practices to follow:

• Clarity and Simplicity

Ensure your visualizations are easy to read and interpret. Use clear labels and legends to explain what each part of the chart represents. Avoid clutter by focusing on the most critical data points and keeping your design straightforward.

• Color Schemes

Choose color schemes that enhance readability. Use distinct colors for different response categories, but avoid using too many colors, which can overwhelm viewers. Ensure your color choices are colorblind-friendly to make your charts accessible to a broader audience.

• Context and Annotations

Providing context in your visualizations helps viewers understand the significance of the data. Use annotations to highlight key findings or trends. Including brief explanatory notes can offer valuable insights and guide the audience through your analysis.

• Comparative Analysis

When presenting Likert scale data, it is often useful to compare different groups or track changes over time. Use consistent scales and colors to facilitate comparisons. Highlight significant differences or trends to draw attention to important insights.

• Balancing Detail and Overview

Balance detailed information with a high-level overview. While detailed charts can show granular data, summary charts or dashboards can provide an at-a-glance understanding. Use drill-down features or interactive elements if possible to allow viewers to explore the data at their own pace.

By adhering to these best practices, you can create visualizations that accurately represent your Likert scale data, engage your audience, and provide deeper insights.

How to Present Likert Scale Data FAQs

What is the best way to present data from a Likert scale?

The best way to present data from a Likert scale depends on various factors, including the nature of the data, the research objectives, and the preferences of the audience. However, here are some common methods for presenting Likert scale data effectively:

1. Likert Scale Chart
2. Bar Chart
3. Stacked Bar Chart
4. Histograms
5. Heatmaps
6. Radar Chart

How do you present a Likert scale on a graph?

Presenting Likert scale data on a graph involves visualizing the distribution of responses across different categories or levels of agreement. The best way to present a Likert Scale on a graph is by using a Likert Scale Chart.

Wrap Up

Visualizing and presenting Likert scale data effectively can transform raw survey results into meaningful insights. By properly preparing your data, choosing the right visualization techniques, and following best practices for presentation, you can create clear, engaging, and informative charts that highlight key trends and patterns.

Whether you’re using bar charts, heatmaps, or diverging stacked bar charts, the goal is to make your data easy to understand and actionable. Start applying these strategies today to enhance your data analysis and communication efforts, and unlock the full potential of your survey data.