JSM 2011 Online Program

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Activity Details


CE_09C	Sun, 7/31/2011, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM	HQ-Poinciana Salon 2
Fundamental Statistics Concepts in Presenting Data: Principles for Constructing Better Graphics — Continuing Education Course
ASA , Section on Statistical Graphics
Instructor(s): Rafe Donahue, Biomimetic Therapeutics, Inc.
Data displays are mental models for understanding distributions of data. At the heart of any data display lies the distribution of the data; a model for this distribution includes demonstrating and exposing sources of variation in the distribution. Like a good map, a display of data ought to operate on several levels. At the lowest level (the highest level of granularity) are the data themselves. Further up are the actual distributions, each with its component summaries such as the mean or relevant quantiles. At the highest level are sources of variation in these distributions, the parameters in the (mental) model for understanding the data. The closer an architect can come to showing all these levels, the more information will be conveyed. This course will present a number of principles, both developed by the masters (Minard, Tufte, Cleveland, Wilkinson, Wainer, etc) and discovered by the presenter, for constructing such displays that will allow the architect of the data display to present the data for improved understanding; it will not be simply a "Don't use pie charts" or "Here's a bad graph from USA Today" course. We will focus on uncovering and formulating principles for presenting data visually. Examples will abound.

2011 JSM Online Program Home

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