Mind the gap. It’s is an important concept to bear in mind when traveling on the Tube in London, the T in Boston, the Metro in Washington, D.C., and other subways. But how many of us remember to mind the gap when we create an interval plot in Minitab Statistical Software? Not too many of us, I’d wager. And it’s a shame, too.

When you travel on the subway, minding the gap means giving thoughtful consideration to the space between the platform and the train. On the subway, minding the gap can make the difference between these two very different views of the subway station:

When you make an interval plot in Minitab, minding the gap means giving thoughtful consideration to the space between groups on the x-axis. For interval plots, minding the gap can make the difference between these two very different views of your data:

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