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?