examples

scplot

This is a new add-on package to scanfor visualizing single-case data: scplot. This function will gradually replace the plot.scdf() (short: plot()) function already included in scan and finally be included into to the scan package. Here are some advantages of using scplot over the standard scan plot function:

• scplot is already much more versatile than plot has been.
• scplot was designed to encompass a pipe style coding which is much cleaner, more intelligible and easier to code.
• scplot is based on ggplot2 and produces a ggplot2 object which can be modified and extended to any wishes.

We consider the state of scplot to be experimental. That is, the code and syntax might change in future versions so backward compatibility is not guaranteed.

But we will keep the “old” plot.scdf in future versions of scan.

Here are a few plots that have been generated with scplot to demonstrate its possibilities.

Install scplot

scplot is hosted as a gitHub project at https://github.com/jazznbass/scplot. You can install it with devtools::install_github("jazznbass/scplot", dependencies = TRUE) from your R console. Make sure you have the package devtools installed before. The package has to be compiled. When you are running R on a Windows machine you also have to install Rtools. Rtools is not an R package and can be downloaded from CRAN at https://cran.r-project.org/bin/windows/Rtools/. MacOs and Linux users usually do not need to take this extra step.

Basic principal

You start by providing an scdf object (a single-case data frame as returned from the scdf() function of scan) to the scplot() function (e.g. scplot(exampleAB)). Now you use a series of pipe-operators (%>% or |>) to add and change characteristics of the resulting plot. For example:

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_title("My plot") %>%
  add_caption("Note: A nice plot")

The standard style

scplot(exampleAB)

Add datalines

scplot(exampleAB_add) %>%
  add_dataline("depression")

Add statlines

Lines indicating a constant for each phase

Possible functions: mean, min, max, quantile

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_statline("mean", color = "darkred") %>%
  add_statline("max", color = "darkblue", linetype = "dashed") %>%
  add_statline("min", color = "brown", linetype = "dashed")

Lines indicating a constant for a specific phase

Set the phase argument with one or multiple phase-names or phase-numbers

Possible functions: mean, min, max, quantile

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_statline("mean", phase = "A", color = "darkred") %>%
  add_statline("max", phase = c("B", "C"), color = "darkblue", linetype = "dashed") %>%
  add_statline("min", phase = c(2, 3), color = "orange", linetype = "dashed")

Trend-lines

trend (separate trend-line for each phase), trendA (extrapolated trend-line of first phase):

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_statline("trend", color = "darkred") %>%
  add_statline("trendA", color = "darkblue", linetype = "dashed")

Smoothed curves

Possible functions: movingMean, movingMedian, loess, lowess:

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_statline("loess", color = "darkred") %>%
  add_statline("movingMean", color = "darkblue")

Refine with addidtional arguments

mean : trim
quantile: probs
movingMean, movingMedian: lag
loess: span
lowess: f

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_statline("movingMean", lag = 1, color = "darkblue") %>%
  add_statline("quantile", probs = 0.75, color = "darkred")

Specify data-line

If you do not specify the variable argument the default first data-line is addressed.

scplot(exampleAB_add) %>%
  add_dataline("cigarrets") %>%
  add_statline("mean", variable = "cigarrets", color = "darkred") %>%
  add_statline("trend", linetype = "dashed")

Annotate and mark

Add marks

The positions argument can take a numeric vector:

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_marks(case = 1, positions = c(7, 12)) %>%
  add_marks(case = 3, positions = c(3, 17), color = "blue", size = 7)

The positions argument can also be a string containing a logical expression. This will be evaluated and the respective positions will be marked.

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_marks(case = 1, positions = "mt > 15") %>%
  add_marks(case = 2, positions = 'phase == "B"', color = "green", size = 5) %>%
  add_marks(case = 3, positions = "values > quantile(values, probs = 0.80)", color = "blue", size = 7) %>%
  add_marks(case = "all", positions = "values < quantile(values, probs = 0.20)", color = "yellow", size = 7) %>%
  add_caption("Note.
red: mt > 15 in case 1; 
green: phase 'B' in case 2; 
blue: values > 80% quantile of case 3; 
yellow: values < 20% quantile of all cases")

And the positions argument can take the results from a scan outlier analyses and mark the positions of the outliers of each case:

scplot(exampleABC_outlier) %>% 
  add_marks(positions = outlier(exampleABC_outlier), size = 3)

Add text

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_text("Here!", case = 2, x = 10, y = 80, color = "red")

Add arrow

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_arrow(case = 1, x0 = 6, y0 = 90, x1 = 3, y1 = 63) %>%
  add_text("Problem", case = 1, x = 6, y = 94, color = "red", size = 1, hjust = 0 ) 

Change appearance of basic plot elements

Data line

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  set_dataline(colour = "blue", linewidth = 1, linetype = "dotted", 
               point = list(colour = "red", size = 1, shape = 2) )

# Equivalent_
# scplot(exampleABC) %>%
#   set_dataline(line = list(colour = "blue", size = 1, linetype = "dotted"), 
#                point = list(colour = "red", size = 1, shape = 2)) 

Background

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  set_background(fill = "grey90", color = "black", size = 2)

Panel

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  set_panel(fill = "tan1", color = "palevioletred", size = 2)

A different panel color for each phase

Note: The colors are 50% transparent. So they might appear different.

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  set_panel(fill = c("grey80", "white", "blue4"))

Themes

Themes are complete styles that define various elements of a plot.

Function add_theme("theme_name")

Possible themes:

basic, grid, default, small, tiny, big, minimal, dark, sienna, phase_color, phase_shade, grid2

The ‘default’ theme

scplot(exampleABC)

Theme ‘basic’

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_theme("basic")

Theme ‘minimal’

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_theme("minimal")

Theme ‘dark’

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_theme("dark")

Theme ‘sienna’

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_theme("sienna")

Combine themes

When providing multiple themes the order is important as the latter overwrites styles of the former.

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_theme("sienna", "minimal", "small")

Set base text

The base text size is the absolute size. All other text sizes are relative to this base text size.

scplot(exampleAB_decreasing$Peter) %>%
  set_base_text(colour = "blue", family = "serif", face = "italic", size = 14)

Add title and caption

scplot(exampleAB_decreasing) %>%
  add_title("A new plot", color = "darkblue", size = 1.3) %>%
  add_caption("Note. What a nice plot!", face = "italic", colour = "darkred")

Add a legend

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_statline("mean", color = "darkred") %>%
  add_statline("min", phase = "B", linewidth = 0.2, color = "darkblue") %>%
  add_legend()

and set specific elements

scplot(exampleABC) %>%
  add_statline("mean", color = "darkred") %>%
  add_legend(
    position = "left", 
    title = list(size = 12, face = "italic"),
    background = list(fill = "grey95", colour = "black")
  )

Customize axis settings

When axis ticks are to close together set the increment argument to leave additional space (e.g. increment = 2 will annotate every other value). When you set increment_from = 0 an additional tick will be set at 1 although counting of the increments will start at 0.

scplot(exampleA1B1A2B2) %>% 
  set_xaxis(increment_from = 0, increment = 5, 
            color = "darkred", size = 0.7, angle = -90) %>%
  set_yaxis(limits = c(0, 50), size = 0.7, color = "darkred") 

Customize axis labels

scplot(exampleA1B1A2B2) %>% 
  set_ylabel("Score", color = "darkred", angle = 0) %>%
  set_xlabel("Session", color = "darkred")

Change Casenames

scplot(exampleA1B1A2B2) %>%
  set_casenames(c("A", "B", "C"), color = "darkblue", size = 1)

Casenames as strips:

scplot(exampleA1B1A2B2) %>%
  set_casenames(position = "strip", 
                background = list(fill = "lightblue"))

Add value labels

scplot(exampleABC) %>% 
  add_labels(text = list(color = "black", size = 0.7), 
             background = list(fill = "grey98"), nudge_y = 7)

If you set the nudge_y argument to 0, the label will be set on-top the datapoints:

scplot(exampleABC) %>% 
  add_labels(text = list(color = "black", size = 0.7), 
             background = list(fill = "grey98"), nudge_y = 0)

Add a ridge

scplot(exampleAB_mpd) %>% 
  add_ridge("grey50")

Extending scplot with ggplot2

scplot() generates ggplot2 objects. You can keep the ggplot2 object and assign it into a new object with the as_ggplot() function. Thereby, you can use many ggplot2 functions to rework your graphics:

p1 <- scplot(byHeart2011$`Lisa (Turkish)`) %>% 
        add_theme("minimal") %>%
        as_ggplot()
p2 <- scplot(byHeart2011$`Patrick (Spanish)`) %>% 
        add_theme("minimal") %>% 
        as_ggplot()
p3 <- scplot(byHeart2011$`Anna (Twi)`) %>% 
        add_theme("minimal") %>% 
        as_ggplot()
p4 <- scplot(byHeart2011$`Melanie (Swedish)`) %>% 
        add_theme("minimal") %>% 
        as_ggplot()

library(patchwork)
p1 + p2 + p3 + p4 + plot_annotation(tag_levels = "a", tag_suffix =  ")")

Complexs examples

Here are some more complex examples

scplot(example_A24) %>% 
  add_theme("default") %>%
  add_statline("lowess", color = "darkred", linewidth = 1.5) %>%
  add_statline("loess", color = "red", linewidth = 1.5) %>%
  add_statline("movingMean", lag = 3, color = "lightpink", linewidth = 1.5) %>%
  set_xaxis(size = 0.8, angle = 35) %>%
  set_dataline(point = "none") %>%
  add_legend(position = c(0.8, 0.75), background = list(color = "grey50")) %>%
  set_phasenames(c("no speedlimit", "with speedlimit"), position = "left", 
                 hjust = 0, vjust = 1) %>%
  set_casenames("") %>%
  add_title("Effect of a speedlimit on the A24") %>%
  add_caption("Note: Moving mean calculated with lag three", face = 3) %>%
  add_ridge(color = "lightblue")

scplot(exampleAB_add) %>%
  add_dataline("cigarrets", point = list(size = 1)) %>%
  add_statline("trend", linetype = "dashed") %>%
  add_statline("mean", variable = "cigarrets", color = "darkred") %>%
  add_marks(positions = c(14,20), size = 3, variable = "cigarrets")%>%
  add_marks(positions = "cigarrets > quantile(cigarrets, 0.75)", size = 3) %>%
  set_xaxis(increment = 5) %>%
  set_phasenames(color = NA) %>%
  set_casenames(position = "strip") %>%
  add_legend(
    section_labels = c("", ""),
    labels = c(NA, NA, "Mean of cigarrets", "Trend of wellbeing"),
    text = list(face = 3)
  ) %>%
  set_panel(fill = c("lightblue", "grey80")) %>%
  add_ridge(color = "snow", variable = "cigarrets") %>%
  add_labels(variable = "cigarrets", nudge_y = 2, 
             text = list(color = "blue", size = 0.5)) %>%
  add_labels(nudge_y = 2, text = list(color = "black", size = 0.5),
             background = list(fill = "white"))

scplot(exampleA1B1A2B2) %>% 
  set_xaxis(increment = 4, color = "brown") %>%
  set_yaxis(color = "sienna3") %>%
  set_ylabel("Points", color = "sienna3", angle = 0) %>%
  set_xlabel("Weeks", size = 1, color = "brown") %>%
  add_title("Points by week", color = "sienna4", face = 3) %>%
  add_caption("Note: An extensive Example.",
              color = "black", size = 1, face = 3) %>%
  set_phasenames(c("Baseline", "Intervention", "Fall-Back", "Intervention_2"), 
                 size = 0) %>%
  add_ridge(alpha("lightblue", 0.5)) %>%
  set_casenames(labels = sample_names(3), color = "steelblue4", size = 0.7) %>%
  set_panel(fill = c("grey80", "grey95"), color = "sienna4") %>%
  add_grid(color = "grey85", linewidth = 0.1) %>%
  set_dataline(size = 0.5, linetype = "solid", 
               point = list(colour = "sienna4", size = 0.5, shape = 18)) %>%
  add_labels(text = list(color = "sienna", size = 0.7), nudge_y = 4) %>%
  set_separator(size = 0.5, linetype = "solid", color = "sienna") %>%
  add_statline(stat = "trendA", color = "tomato2") %>%
  add_statline(stat = "max", phase = c(1, 3), linetype = "dashed") %>%
  add_marks(case = 1:2, positions = 14, color = "red3", size = 2, shape = 4) %>%
  add_marks(case = "all", positions = "values < quantile(values, 0.1)", 
            color = "blue3", size = 1.5) %>%
  add_marks(positions = outlier(exampleABAB), color = "brown", size = 2) %>%
  add_text(case = 1, x = 5, y = 35, label = "Interesting", 
           color = "darkgreen", angle = 20, size = 0.7) %>%
  add_arrow(case = 1, 5, 30, 5, 22, color = "steelblue") %>%
  set_background(fill = "white") %>%
  add_legend()

Adding bars is a bit more complicated:

• Set the type argument to "bar"
  
• Extend the limits of the x-axis by 1 (here from 0 to 41)
  
• Set the left margin of the x-axis to 0 with the expand argument.

scplot(exampleAB_add) %>%
  set_xaxis(expand = c(0, 0), limits = c(0, 41)) %>%
  add_dataline("cigarrets", type = "bar", linewidth = 0.6, point = "none") %>%
  add_statline("mean", variable = "cigarrets", color = "darkred") %>%
  add_statline("trend", linetype = "dashed") %>%
  set_casenames(position = "strip")