A dot plot or dot chart is a statistical chart consisting of data points plotted on a fairly simple scale, typically using filled in circles. There are two common versions of the dot chart. The first is described by Leland Wilkinson as a graph that has been used in hand-drawn (pre-computer era) graphs to depict distributions. The other version is described by William Cleveland as an alternative to the bar chart, in which dots are used to depict the quantitative values (e.g. counts) associated with categorical variables.