syklusvis

Syklusvis is a term used in data visualization to describe methods that emphasize cyclic or periodic structure in data. In a syklusvis, data points are organized by cycles such as hours within a day, days within a week, or months within a year, and then aligned so that comparable positions within each cycle appear in the same visual position. This arrangement makes it possible to compare the shape and magnitude of cycles across multiple periods.

The term combines the Scandinavian roots syklus, meaning cycle, and vis, meaning view or visualization. In practice, a syklusvis can take several forms, including cycle plots, small multiples of individual cycles, circular or polar plots, and heatmaps that map values onto a fixed cycle axis. Key steps include selecting the cycle unit, normalizing data to allow cross-cycle comparison, and choosing visual encodings (color, height, or saturation) that convey magnitude within each cycle.

Syklusvis is commonly used to analyze seasonal or daily patterns in fields such as energy demand, website analytics, transportation, and climate data. It is particularly helpful for identifying regular periodic effects, shifts in cycle amplitude, or anomalous cycles that deviate from the typical pattern. Limitations include the potential masking of long-term trends and the risk that the chosen cycle unit biases interpretation. Proper use requires clear labeling of cycles and, when possible, supplementary views that show both cyclic and linear trends.

Related concepts include cycle plots, circular statistics, and other forms of time-series visualization that foreground periodic structure.