IDA analysts strive to communicate clearly and effectively. Good data visualizations can enhance reports by making the conclusions easier to understand and more memorable. The goal of this seminar is to help you avoid settling for factory defaults and instead present your conclusions through visually appealing and understandable charts. Topics covered include choosing the right level of detail, guidelines for different types of graphical elements (titles, legends, annotations, etc.), selecting the right variable encodings (color, plot symbol, etc.), advice on practical implementations, and determining whether to include a chart at all. Most of the time, there’s no single “right” answer, so this presentation will include audience discussion to examine the trade-offs associated with different options.
Suggested Citation
Avery, Matthew, Heather Wojton, Andrew Flack, and Brian Vickers. Visualizing Data: I Don’t Remember That Memo, but I Do Remember That Graph. Alexandria, VA: Institute for Defense Analyses, 2020.