What can the use of facets in a plot reveal about data?

The use of facets in a plot allows for the visualization of differences across subsets of data by creating multiple panels, each representing a different category or variable within the dataset. This enables analysts to compare and contrast various groups side by side, making it easier to identify patterns, variations, or anomalies that may be present within those subsets.

For example, when examining customer behavior across different regions, faceting can help visualize how trends may differ from one region to another, highlighting which areas may be performing better or worse. This nuanced perspective is essential for gaining insights that may not be readily apparent when looking at aggregated data.

While trends over time, overall summary statistics, and relationships between two variables are important aspects of data analysis, they are not the primary focus of faceting. Facets specifically allow for direct comparisons across groups, which is a key benefit in exploratory data analysis.