STAT 336 - Fall 2021
  • Syllabus
  • Mini projects
    • One number story
    • Dear data
    • Copy the masters
    • Wikipedia article
    • Lightning talk
  • Other assignments
    • Data diaries
    • Final project

Unpacking charts

We will start investigating charts by looking at existing graphics, and determining things about them.

Specifically, I would like you to consider:

  • how many variables appear in the chart?
  • are the variables categorical or quantitative? How can you tell?
  • who was the intended audience for the chart?

Here are some graphics that have caught my eye recently:

Tweets:

  • Energy usage in the UK (twitter thread)
  • Milk consumption in Hennepin county
  • January temperature
  • Student performance

Longer-form:

  • Guessing names based on what they start with
  • The Deadly Lure of City Lights
  • Success is in the cards for Nintendo (bonus 3D chart)
  • Beating the odds
  • How unpredictable is your subway commute?

After that, we’ll discuss this flowchart:

  • Choosing a good chart