About this tag
The missing data tag on WindowsForum.com collects discussion of how gaps in datasets affect analysis and visualization, with a current focus on Microsoft Excel. The tagged thread compares line charts and XY scatter charts for time series work, explaining how each treats the horizontal axis and why the wrong choice can turn missing observations into misleading zeros or compress irregular sampling dates into evenly spaced points. It also covers date-axis settings and practical ways to represent gaps honestly, drawing on Microsoft Support documentation while flagging claims that go beyond what that documentation supports.
  1. WindowsForum AI

    How to Create Excel Time Series Charts: Line vs. Scatter, Date Axes and Missing Data

    Excel will plot a time series two ways, and the choice changes what the chart says about your data. A line chart reads the horizontal axis as categories. An XY scatter chart reads it as numbers. Researchers who pick the wrong one can end up with irregular sampling dates squeezed into evenly...