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Analyzing and Visualizing Data
Dr. LamTECM 4180
What we’ll cover today
• Importance of data
• Data, information, and knowledge
• Introduction to a variety of visualizations and their purposes
• Visualization exercise and brainstorm activity
Big Data
• 90% of all data in the world was generated in the last 2 years.
• To put it another way, the average person processes more information in a day than a person who lived in the 1500’s did in their lifetime.
• Climate information, social media, digital media, purchase transactions, cell phone GPS data, etc.
• Big data can be useful or useless depending on what you do with it
• The whole goal of data analysis/visualization is to turn data (raw numbers) into information and make decisions based on this information
Some fun but not so useful examples
More perspective on data from social media…
• 650,000 shares every minute on Facebook
• 144 million Tweets on Twitter and 936 million shares on Facebook a day
Netflix case study
• Records 30 million user plays each day
• Internal analytics track when users pause, rewind, fast forward, and search
• They also track when users like or share Netflix shows/movies on Facebook
Netflix continued
And they came up with…
Even more useful to society…
• Predictive Policing Models led to 12% decrease in property crime in LA
Big Data isn’t going anywhere
Before we differentiate data, information, and knowledge…
1. Write down a tip or trick you learned about UNT that you would tell an incoming Freshman.
2. Write down a tip or trick you know from driving around DFW (e.g., Avoid XX highway at XX time).
Data vs. Information vs. Knowledge
• Data- raw numbers, words, etc. that lack context or meaning (e.g., 33,715)
• Information- application of structure to data to convey meaning (e.g., “enrollment at UNT 33,715 for Spring 2014)
• Knowledge- understanding of a specific subject through experience or education (e.g., “33,715 is up from 33,505 in Spring 2013”)
Visually…
Example 1
Yes, Yes, No, Yes, No, Yes, No, Yes, No, Yes, YesRaw Data
ContextResponses to the market research
question – “Would you buy brand x at price y?”
Information ???
Processing
Creative commons attribution to FatMax 2007
Example 2
Raw Data
Context
Information
42, 63, 96, 74, 56, 86
Jayne’s scores in the six AS/A2 ICT modules
???
Processing
Creative commons attribution to FatMax 2007
Example 3
Raw Data
Context
Information
111192, 111234
The previous and current readings of a customer’s gas meter
???
Processing
Creative commons attribution to FatMax 2007
Knowledge Examples
• Using the 3 previous examples:• A Marketing Manager could use this
information to decide whether or not to raise or lower price y
• Jayne’s teacher could analyze the results to determine whether it would be worth her re-taking a module
• Looking at the pattern of the customer’s previous gas bills may identify that the figure is abnormally low and they are fiddling the gas meter
A few notes about data, information, and knowledge
• Data (provided it hasn’t been manipulated, and has been collected correctly) is objective, and therefore, rarely “incorrect”• A yes is a yes, a no is a no
• Information, however, is context dependent. This means it can sometimes be “wrong”• E.g., “Customers preferred Coke to Pepsi” (but
when?)
Choosing the right graphics
• Decide what your story (purpose) is
• Select a graphic that most effectively represents this story to your user
• Include the proper supplementary information
Tables
• Purpose: To help your readers find data or other information rapidly
• Tables can be useful to compare data, but may not be as effective as a more visual representation
• Include a descriptive tie, row and column headings, unit of measure (if needed), and source
Comparison of Foods
Food Calories Fat
Apple 101 0
Apple Pop tart
191 2.9g
Line Graph
• Purpose: To show trends and cycles; To show the relationship between two or more variables
• Tend to be good for interval level variables (numerical data)
What’s wrong with this?
What’s wrong with this?
Bar Graph
• Purpose: To help readers compare quantities and see trends at a glance
• Tend to be good to display categorical variables (non-numerical)
What’s wrong with this?
What’s wrong with this?
Pie Chart
• Purpose: To show the composition of a whole
What’s wrong with this?
What’s wrong with this?
What’s wrong with this?
Pictographs
• Purpose: To help readers compare quantities and see trends
• Simply introduces an additional visual element to an already existing graph (bar, line, etc.)
Data Visualization Example
• http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2010/in-deeper-water/
What, then, is the purpose of data visualizations?
• They provide context for user and transform data into information
• Data visualizations tell a story
• Stories can be simple or complex, but a visualization should tell the story better than the alternative
• Help or lead people to make decisions based on the information
Exercise
1. Find an existing Infographic• See http://www.informationisbeautiful.net for examples if
you can’t find one
2. Identify what graphic or graphics are used (tables, bar charts, pie charts, etc.)
3. Identify the “story” in 1-2 sentences
4. Evaluate the infographic based on PARC principles
5. Identify the supplementary information provided (scale, labels, etc.)
6. Is this a positive or negative example of an inforgraphic?