1. Preparing to Present Data

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this first module, we think about how data is represented, focusing in particular on: (i) three examples of graphs with questionable interpretations, which have been used in real news outlets; (ii) the misleading potential that truncating graph axes can have on interpretation of a dataset; (iii) the importance of establishing what you want to inform your audience of, before deciding on a method of data presentation.

Course

This course, by Dr Ayoub Bouguettaya (University of Birmingham), explores types of data presentation and data distributions. In the first module, we look at some example graphs which present different sets of data and consider whether they have done a good job. In the second module, we think about types of data, with a particular focus on qualitative versus quantitative data, and primary versus secondary data. In the third module, we think about tables and graphs as ways of presenting datasets, each with their respective strengths. Next, we think about how the potential drawbacks of both tables and graphs can make them unsuitable for presenting certain types of data. In the fifth module, we think about boxplots and histograms, each with their respective strengths and weaknesses for representing different datasets. In the sixth and final module, we think about some conclusions that can be drawn from the evaluation of each of these data presentation methods.

Lecturer

Dr Ayoub Bouguettaya is a lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham. His research centres around social psychology and how knowledge from that field can be applied to others, particularly health. Dr Bouguettaya is interested in how we can apply social identity theory to societal problems, as well as investigating the different perspectives one might taken on those issues. His recent publications have spanned a breadth of topics including social identification, eating behaviours, conspiracy theories, and behavioural economics.