Data Points: Visualization That Means Something

Chapter 4

Exploring Data Visually

In 1977, statistician John Tukey published his book Exploratory Data Analysis, which detailed how and encouraged data professionals to analyze data through visualization. This was during a time when most analysis was performed in the context of hypothesis tests and statistical models, one computer filled a room, and graphs were typically drawn by hand. For example, in his book, Tukey provides a tip on how to draw darker symbols with a pen instead of a pencil.

Nevertheless, although the technology was bigger and slower back then, the driving principle is the same. You can see a lot in a picture, and what you see can lead to answers or generate more questions you otherwise never would have thought of.

“The greatest value of a picture is when it forces us to notice what we never expected to see.”

—John W. Tukey, Exploratory Data Analysis (1977)

The public-facing side of visualization—the polished graphics that you see in the news, on websites, and in books—are fine examples of data graphics at their best, but what is the process to get to that final picture? There is an exploration phase that most people never see, but it can lead to visualization that is a level above the work of those who do not look closely at their data. The better that you understand what your data is about, the better you can communicate your findings.

Note: The New York Times and The Washington Post discuss the process behind their graphics at http://chartsnthings.tumblr.com/ ...