Beautiful Charts & Graphs - #ResearchProTips - Past Library Workshops

Takeaways

1. Simplify your data presentation.

Less is more. Only include data relevant to your argument.

2. You don't need to be a designer or programmer to generate visualizations.

There are dozens of data visualization tools available. Explore our provided examples to start your project. It's likely that one will fit your needs.

3. Pay attention to the data visualization trends in your disciplines.

Every discipline has a different expectation for data visualization. Consult with your advisor on seeking discipline-specific advice.

Data Visualization tools

Infogram
Create infographics using a web interface, without requiring specialized design software.
Google Fusion Tables
Generate maps and charts from datasets using a easy-to-use Google Apps interface.
ArcGIS Online
Use geo-tagged datasets to create your own customized mapping visualizations. You must request access from IT in order to create an account.
GCMap
Visualize airline flight routes between various destinations. Minor customizations of lines, colors and map projections are possible.
Gephi
Open source software that generates visualizations based on data relationships. Heavily used in the digital humanities. Steeper learning curve than other online tools.

Presentation

Beautiful Charts & Graphs:

Intro to Data Visualization

Presentation from Google

Examples of Data Visualization

Flowing Data
Examples of professionally designed data visualization. Should provide inspiration for employing best practices in your own data visualization.
Reddit /r/infographics
User-generated compilation of infographics.
Reddit /r/dataisbeautiful
This subreddit focuses on pure data visualization as opposed to curated infographics.

Presenter

Jon Breitenbucher

Contact Info
Director of Educational Technology
330-263-2207
jbreitenbucher@wooster.edu
Send Email

Links:

Department Website / Facebook
Personal Blog

Subjects:
Combinatorics, Graph Theory, Cryptography, AJAX, WordPress, CSS, HTML, HTML5, Video Conferencing Technology, Massively Multi-player On-line Games, mobile computing, iMovie, Garageband, social media, course management technologies, and emerging technologies

#ResearchProTips - Past Library Workshops: Beautiful Charts & Graphs