Forest plots in Excel: Moving beyond a clump of trees to a forest of visual information

Authors

James H. Derzon
Aaron A. Alford

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/96vm-5c74

Abstract

Forest plots provide an effective means of presenting a wealth of information in a single graphic. Whether used to illustrate multiple results in a single study or the cumulative knowledge of an entire field, forest plots have become an accepted and generally understood way of presenting many estimates simultaneously. This article explores advanced uses of the forest plot with the intent of highlighting the flexibility of Excel in generating both simple and complex forest plots. A step-by-step tutorial is included with specific directions for generating a stratified forest plot and general suggestions for modifying the forest plot to meet the user’s specific needs. Accessed 35,975 times on https://pareonline.net from April 29, 2013 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Derzon, James H. and Alford, Aaron A. (2019) "Forest plots in Excel: Moving beyond a clump of trees to a forest of visual information," Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation: Vol. 18, Article 7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7275/96vm-5c74
Available at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/pare/vol18/iss1/7