Telling Stories with Data - Data Points: Visualization That Means Something - page 12

The quick-and-easy thing to do would have been to let your software
decide what range to use for each histogram. However, each histogram
was made on the same range even though there were no countries who
had 95 Internet subscribers or broadband users per 100 inhabitants. This
enables you to easily compare the distributions between the groups.
So when you end up with a lot of different datasets, try to think of them as
several groups instead of separate compartments that do not interact with
each other. It can make for more interesting results.
Questionable Data
While you're looking for the stories in your data, you should always ques-
tion what you see. Remember, just because it's numbers doesn't mean
it's true.
I have to admit. Data checking is definitely my least favorite part of graph-
making. I mean, when someone, a group, or a service provides you with a
bunch of data, it should be up to them to make sure all their data is legit.
But this is what good graph designers do. After all, reliable builders don't
use shoddy cement for a house's foundation, so don't use shoddy data to
build your data graphic.
Data-checking and verification is one of the most important—if not the
most important—part of graph design.
Basically, what you're looking for is stuff that makes no sense. Maybe
there was an error at data entry and someone added an extra zero or
missed one. Maybe there were connectivity issues during a data scrape,
and some bits got mucked up in random spots. Whatever it is, you need to
verify with the source if anything looks funky.
The person who supplied the data usually has a sense of what to expect.
If you were the one who collected the data, just ask yourself if it makes
sense: That state is 90 percent of whatever and all other states are only in
the 10 to 20 percent range. What's going on there?
Often, an anomaly is simply a typo, and other times it's actually an inter-
esting point in your dataset that could form the whole drive for your story.
Just make sure you know which one it is.