Data Visualization

Course Outline and Readings

For each class, we will spend the first half of class discussing general principles of data visualization. The second half of each class we'll spend working on programming, with an assignment that you will begin and complete as homework. This outline is preliminary and subject to change.

What Are Data? and What Are Good and Bad Depictions of Data?
- Discussion
- Programming
  - R Graphics Cookbook, Preface, Chapter 1: R Basics, and Chapter 15 (15.1 to 15.7; 15.7): Getting Your Data Into Shape, Chapter 2 (2.1, 2.2)
  - Load R on computer
  - Write “hello world” program
  - Load data
  - Getting ready to graph: calculate means
  - Make a graph or two
- Supplemental
  - Creating tidy datasets: [paper]
Visual Perception
- Discussion
  - What are the key elements of visual perception in graphics?
  - Show Me the Numbers, Chapters 5 (Visual Perception and Graphical Communication) and 7 (General Design for Communication)
- Programming
  - R Graphics Cookbook, Chapter 2: Graph Basics (2.2-2.6), Chapter 15 Getting Your Data Into Shape (15.7, 15.15-15.17)
  - Load a different dataset than the previous course
  - Make three charts using means
~~Quantities, Shares and Denominators~~ Histograms
- Discussion
  - Show Me the Numbers, Chapter 6: Fundamental Variations of Graphs
  - Why big numbers matter: McGinty, “Grasping Giant Number is Far From Second Nature”, Wall Street Journal
  - When do you express things as shares?
  - When do you express things in per capita terms?
- Programming
  - Histograms
  - ~~Loops~~
  - Calculate relevant summary statistics
~~How do you show patterns from individual data points?~~ Bar Charts
- Discussion
  - Show Me the Numbers, Chapter 6: Fundamental Variations of Graphs
  - Show Me the Numbers, Chapter 10: Component-Level Graph Design
- Programming
  - R Graphics Cookbook, Chapter 3: Bar Charts
  - Make three charts that show relative quantities
  - One of these charts must be a bar chart
Demonstrate Change Over Time: Line Charts
- Discussion
  - Show Me the Numbers, Chapter 10: Component-Level Graph Design
  - Show Me the Numbers, Chapter 13: Telling Compelling Stories with Numbers
- Programming
  - R Graphics Cookbook, Chapter 4: Line Graphs
  - Make three charts that show change over time
  - One of these should be a line chart, but they should not all be line charts
How to Best to Show More than One Variable? Scatter Plots
- Discussion
  - Show Me the Numbers, Chapter 13: Telling Compelling Stories with Numbers
- Programming
updated: Maps I
- Discussion
  - Map basics: projection, coloring
  - Map fallacies
- Programming
  - Introduction to Visualizing Spatial Data in R, Parts I and II
Student Consultations
- March 22 and 23
- Half-hour discussions of visualizations
updated: Maps II
- Discussion
  - Joining data to maps
- Programming
  - Introduction to Visualizing Spatial Data in R, Part III
updated: In-class Workshop
- Post your policy brief beforehand
- Come to class prepared to discuss narrative in brief
- And to sketch out or improve graphs, including programming
updated: Maps III
- Discussion
  - Map presentation
- Programming
  - Grabbing Google Maps with ggplot2
  - Introduction to Visualizing Spatial Data in R, Part IV
updated: Putting it all Together: An Illustrated Guide to Income in the United States
- Discussion
  - Mulbrandon, An Illustrated Guide to Income in the United States
  - Chapter 9, “Case Studies”, Storytelling with Data
- Programming
  - Try to make one or two of these on your own!
Student Presentations, 1 of 2
- First half of class: Student Presentations
- Second half of class: Programming workshop
Student Presentations, 2 of 2
- First half of class: Student Presentations
- Second half of class: Programming workshop