There Is A History And Various Uses For Visual Displays
September 25, 2019 at 10:23 p.m.
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History
Quantitative graphs, central to the development of science and statistical artwork, date from the earliest attempts to analyze data. The earliest known map found on a clay tablet dated 3800 B.C., depicts all of Northern Mesopotamia with conventions and symbols still familiar today. From about 3200 B.C.. Egyptian surveyors abstracted their lands in terms of coordinates not unlike the Cartesian systems still in use. Statistical graphics including simple tables and plots, date from the earliest attempts to analyze empirical data. Many of the most familiar forms and techniques were well established at least 200 years ago. Today quantitative graphics are reemerging as an important statistical tool, as evidenced by developments as diverse as the growing use by statisticians of computer graphics, and the proliferation of descriptive graphics in statistical publications of the Federal government.
An earlier issue of the Economist highlighted three of history's best. They included Florence Nightingale's Coxcomb, it came from her monograph on "Notes on matters affecting the health efficiency and hospital administration of the British Army", published in 1858. This was the same year she became the first female fellow of the Statistical Society of London (now Royal Statistical Society). Her map displayed the causes of soldier's deaths during the Crimean war. The second was Charles Joseph Minard's chart that told the story of Napoleon's Russian Campaign of 1812. It displayed six types of information: geography, time, temperature, the course and direction of the army's movement and number of troops remaining, and was published in 1862. His chart has been singled out for special mention: it inspires bitter reflections on the cost to humanity of the madness of conquerors and the merciless thirst for military glory. Anyone with an interest in graphics and history should read Sandra Rendgen’s book, The Minard System.
The third of history's best came much earlier, it was published in 1821 by William Playfair. One of his charts compared tax levels in various countries to show that Britain's were too high. His most famous displayed the weekly wages of a good mechanic and the price of wheat with the reigns of monarchs featured along the top. Playfair was the first person to use horizontal and vertical axes to present time and money and is the key figure in the history of quantitative graphics. Minard was inspired by Playfair’s work.
Visual Aids
If you are given the opportunity to present data in school or in a meeting, certain methods for displaying and analyzing information are better than others. According to Edward Tufte, superior methods are more likely to produce truthful, credible and precise findings. (Tufte is the most famous theorist of information presentation.) The difference between an excellent analysis and a faulty one can sometimes have momentous consequences.
Visual aids help to keep viewers engaged. To make visuals more compelling, keep them simple.
• Minimize the number and complexity of slides.
• Use only three to six ideas on each flip chart or PowerPoint or Prezi slide.
• Use keywords or phrases, not full sentences and use graphics, photos are symbols to reinforce concepts.
• Only one concept and not more than six lines of text per slide should be the standard.
• Use color on slides, but not excessively.
• Use bullet points, not numbers, for nonsequential items.
• Use all upper-case letters only for titles and acronyms.
Sources of Effective Graphs
Fortunately, there are a number of excellent books available for help in presenting data. One of the best is "Show Me the Numbers", written by Steven Few. His book distinguishes between charts and graphs, describes the use and design of tables, explains visual perception, discusses how to display many variables at once, and how to use graphs readily available in software. Naomi Robbins book on "Creating More Effective Graphs" is easy to read and comprehensive. She provides ways to display more than two variables, statistical software, scales, and a useful checklist of possible graph defects. Perhaps the best books of all were written by Edward Tufte. He is a professor at Yale University, where he teaches courses in statistical evidence and information design. They are beautifully presented and highly recommended and widely acclaimed by a variety of professionals.
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. He has taught college courses on regulatory and compliance issues at Ivy Tech, Grace College and Butler University. Sherman has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge on all levels. Eclectic Science, the title of his column, touches on famed doctors and scientists, human senses, aging, various diseases, and little-known facts about many species, including their contributions to scientific research. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
History
Quantitative graphs, central to the development of science and statistical artwork, date from the earliest attempts to analyze data. The earliest known map found on a clay tablet dated 3800 B.C., depicts all of Northern Mesopotamia with conventions and symbols still familiar today. From about 3200 B.C.. Egyptian surveyors abstracted their lands in terms of coordinates not unlike the Cartesian systems still in use. Statistical graphics including simple tables and plots, date from the earliest attempts to analyze empirical data. Many of the most familiar forms and techniques were well established at least 200 years ago. Today quantitative graphics are reemerging as an important statistical tool, as evidenced by developments as diverse as the growing use by statisticians of computer graphics, and the proliferation of descriptive graphics in statistical publications of the Federal government.
An earlier issue of the Economist highlighted three of history's best. They included Florence Nightingale's Coxcomb, it came from her monograph on "Notes on matters affecting the health efficiency and hospital administration of the British Army", published in 1858. This was the same year she became the first female fellow of the Statistical Society of London (now Royal Statistical Society). Her map displayed the causes of soldier's deaths during the Crimean war. The second was Charles Joseph Minard's chart that told the story of Napoleon's Russian Campaign of 1812. It displayed six types of information: geography, time, temperature, the course and direction of the army's movement and number of troops remaining, and was published in 1862. His chart has been singled out for special mention: it inspires bitter reflections on the cost to humanity of the madness of conquerors and the merciless thirst for military glory. Anyone with an interest in graphics and history should read Sandra Rendgen’s book, The Minard System.
The third of history's best came much earlier, it was published in 1821 by William Playfair. One of his charts compared tax levels in various countries to show that Britain's were too high. His most famous displayed the weekly wages of a good mechanic and the price of wheat with the reigns of monarchs featured along the top. Playfair was the first person to use horizontal and vertical axes to present time and money and is the key figure in the history of quantitative graphics. Minard was inspired by Playfair’s work.
Visual Aids
If you are given the opportunity to present data in school or in a meeting, certain methods for displaying and analyzing information are better than others. According to Edward Tufte, superior methods are more likely to produce truthful, credible and precise findings. (Tufte is the most famous theorist of information presentation.) The difference between an excellent analysis and a faulty one can sometimes have momentous consequences.
Visual aids help to keep viewers engaged. To make visuals more compelling, keep them simple.
• Minimize the number and complexity of slides.
• Use only three to six ideas on each flip chart or PowerPoint or Prezi slide.
• Use keywords or phrases, not full sentences and use graphics, photos are symbols to reinforce concepts.
• Only one concept and not more than six lines of text per slide should be the standard.
• Use color on slides, but not excessively.
• Use bullet points, not numbers, for nonsequential items.
• Use all upper-case letters only for titles and acronyms.
Sources of Effective Graphs
Fortunately, there are a number of excellent books available for help in presenting data. One of the best is "Show Me the Numbers", written by Steven Few. His book distinguishes between charts and graphs, describes the use and design of tables, explains visual perception, discusses how to display many variables at once, and how to use graphs readily available in software. Naomi Robbins book on "Creating More Effective Graphs" is easy to read and comprehensive. She provides ways to display more than two variables, statistical software, scales, and a useful checklist of possible graph defects. Perhaps the best books of all were written by Edward Tufte. He is a professor at Yale University, where he teaches courses in statistical evidence and information design. They are beautifully presented and highly recommended and widely acclaimed by a variety of professionals.
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. He has taught college courses on regulatory and compliance issues at Ivy Tech, Grace College and Butler University. Sherman has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge on all levels. Eclectic Science, the title of his column, touches on famed doctors and scientists, human senses, aging, various diseases, and little-known facts about many species, including their contributions to scientific research. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
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