Making it Comprehesnible

Depicting Data

Depicting Data (adapted in part from Mandeville)

Graphical displays help make sense of raw data.

Can be an aid in analysisShould enhance overall communicationInvolves choices about what/how to display

What do you want to say? Are you trying to inform? Persuade?

Who do you want to say it to?Does data help to tell the story?

Depicting DataShould tell a story (i.e. trends over time,

patterns)Relate back to the wholeOffers possibility of projections and

comparisons

Common Types of VisualsGraphs/histograms

Bar chartsPie chartsLine charts

http://www.statcan.ca/english/edu/power/ch9/piecharts/pie.htm

Pictures/Concept mapsData mappingTables

Improving CommunicationDouble-check dataKeep the message simpleVisuals should be able to speak for

themselves if done wellBe sure sequence is logicalRemember- different displays can impact

message

Choosing DisplaysIf data is mostly qualitative/textual tables

are often preferableQuantitative data can often be best

displayed in histograms and graphsIn particular, quantitative data with 5 or

more data points are usually best displayed in graphs

Choosing Displays (Census)

Choosing Displays (Census)

Effect of Choices on DisplaysOld Faithful

http://www.stat.sc.edu/~west/javahtml/Histogram.html

Depicting data

Wicked Awesome Examples

Info Maps

Interactive DisplaysAchieving Visual Excellence

http://www.visual-literacy.org/stairs_of_viz/stairs_of_viz.html

Periodic Table of Visualization Methdshttp://www.visual-literacy.org/

periodic_table/periodic_table.htmlBaby Name Finder

http://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager#ms=false&exact=false

ReferencesVisual Literacy

http://www.visual-literacy.org/pages/documents.htm

Tables vs. graphshttp://www.ncsu.edu/labwrite/res/

tablevsgraph/res-tablevsgraph.htmlVisual displays of data

www.nhhealthpolicyinstitute.unh.edu/ec/ppt/03_visual.ppt