Read the article \"How to Display Data Badly\" by Howard Wainer. It is attached

Question

Read the article "How to Display Data Badly" by Howard Wainer. It is attached here How to Display Data Badly and also posted under the Content tab (after you choose the Content tab, choose Course Content and Session 1 from the list on the left). Discuss! Here are some discussion points. These are not an outline of a paper, think about these issues and try to discuss some of these points or add discussion points of your own based on your experience or on the reading in the last two weeks. • Do you agree with Wainer on data displays? • When might "chart junk" be useful (if ever)? • Would displays considered "bad" ever be appropriate? • What's the worst data display you have seen? Please post a pdf or a link to an example of a poor data display. Be sure to explain why you think it is displayed badly.

Explanation / Answer

In How to Display Data Badly, Howard Wainer defines three guidelines for data representation: show your data, show your data accurately, and show your data clearly. Under each guideline, Wainer discusses general rules (12 in total) for how to badly display and therefore misrepresent data within these guidelines. Under the guideline showing your data he discusses two rules. He mentions the data density index (DDI), which is defined as the number of numbers, plotted per square inch. Rule 1 is show as few data as possible and minimize data density. He warns readers to beware of chart junk, which use a lot of ink in the data but do not contribute to the actual findings being reported. Rule 2 is to hide what data you do show. When properly displaying data it is important to ensure that sufficient data is represented and that your data is visible and not hidden.

Under the guideline showing your data accurately three rules are mentioned for poor data representation. Rule 3 is to ignore the visual metaphor. To properly display data one must not shuffle the relationship of natural order within the data. Rule 4 is only order matters. Here Wainer warns not to only focus on order. Data distortion by inaccurate length displays should be avoided. Rule 5 is to graph data out of context. It is important to make sure that data is displayed at appropriate intervals.

The last set of rules fall under the guideline, show your data clearly. Rule 6 is to change the scales in mid axis. To properly display data one must consistently scale data. Rules 7 is emphasizing the trivial and ignore the important. It is crucial to focus on and not distract from the important information in your data. Rule 8 is jiggle baseline. Bad data representation starts from different bases. Make sure to compare all data from the same baseline. Rule 9 is Austria first. Some bad data displays show data alphabetized. It is more important to order data based off of some aspect within the data rather than by alphabetical order. Rule 10 is label illegibly, incompletely, incorrectly, and ambiguously. It is crucial to properly label data so as to ensure that readers understand what is being represented. Rule 11 is more is murkier. Reporting too many decimal places or using too much color will distract readers from what the actual point of the data is. Rule 12 is if it has been done well in the past, think of another way to do it. On the contrary if data has been successfully represented in certain way, do not try and reinvent the wheel. Follow the representation as a template.

Overall, this article listed many important points in which data can be misrepresented. It is helpful for gaining not only a better understanding of how to better represent data but also how to evaluate data already reported. It is an entertaining satire that details the common shortcomings of data display, raises some relevant and interesting points pertaining to effective (or ineffective) data displays.

On Chart Junk,

This is what Edward Tufte actually says:

“One of the more sedate graphical elements, the grid should usually be muted or completely suppressed so that its presence is only implicit –lest it compete with the data. … Dark grids are chartjunk.”

Grid lines serve several purposes. They aid in estimating values. It’s true that tables are superior to graphs for presenting exact numbers. It’s true that graphs show patterns, trends, and outliers rather than exact numbers. Thus, grid lines, though considered chart junk, actually serve many useful purpose.

On Bad Displays

A "bad" display, containing little information, can raise suspicion in the viewer that there is nothing to be communicated. However, the plot can be filled with non-data figurations, termed as chart junk, thereby hiding paucity of information.

Also, displays containing gridlines, though considered bad by the author's definition as these are chart junk, could convey lots of relevant information and aid in estimating values.

Few poor chart displays can be found here: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-27-worst-charts-of-all-time-2013-6?IR=T

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