Analyzing & Visualizing data

Discussion 1: Data visualization refers to the graphical representation of data. According to Chen et al. (2007), data visualization is meant to make data easy to understand. When data is collected from the field, it is complex in a way that cannot be easily understood. It will then be visualized to ensure that it can be understood by everyone in the organization and then used in the decision-making process. The various visual elements that are used to visualize data include charts, maps, graphs, tables, and histograms. With the help of these visual elements, any form of data can be visualized before it is presented to the audience. This is why Kirk (2016) states that people can take advantage of data visualization to understand all the trends and patterns of their data. The most important thing to understand as a professional is that there are various key components of data visualization. They include; The purpose – Here, one should think about what they need to achieve as a result of data visualization. The story – This component deals with uncovering the story or message that data visualization is communicating to the audience. The data – This component of data visualization involves determining the data that will be used to create visualizations. I would like to say that I have high hopes for this course. One of the techniques I hope to learn from this course is how to use RStudio to visualize data. I want to learn how to create graphs, line charts, bar charts, pie charts, histograms, and other data visualization components using RStudio. References Chen, C. H., Härdle, W. K., & Unwin, A. (Eds.). (2007). Handbook of data visualization. Springer Science & Business Media. Kirk, A. (2016). Data visualisation a handbook for data driven design. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. ISBN: 978-1473912144 Discussion 2: What is data visualization? In basic terms, Data Visualization is the portrayal of data and information in charts, maps, graphs, or other visual tools to help better understand. (Kirk, 2016) What is the purpose of visualizing data? The purpose of visualization data is to assist us with projecting the report's combined information into a structure that makes us to comprehend effortlessly. In simple terms, Facilitate Understanding. (Kirk, 2016). Understanding is divided into three stages: Perceiving: It is the act of simply reading the chart and looking at things such as where is the largest and smallest values, their ranking, etc. Interpreting: After perceiving the chart, converting those values to some meaning such as if bigger is better to smaller, what it means when the chart goes up or down, etc. Comprehending: After Perceiving and Interpreting, information can be analyzed more and identity if this is relevant or and that can be used to make decisions. What is the difference between data and information in terms of analyzing and visualizing data? From what I have understood, Data are raw materials recorded from certain processes, whereas Informations are processed data that is more useful and helps in decision-making for the business. What process is necessary to analyze or visualize data? According to Fry(n.d), there are certain stages for visualization of data: gathering, parsing, filtering, mining, and visualization. All the processes are equally important. Firstly we gather the data, and then the data is parsed in the format as required. After that, data are analyzed and filtered to get the information. This information are then mined using mathematical methods, and then finally, it is visualized with various tools such as charts, graphs, and maps. What techniques do you hope to learn from this course? I aim to learn data interpretation and analysis of data to get information out of it, which will help me professionally and better decision-making capability. Reference: Kirk, A. (2019). Data Visualisation: A Handbook for Data-Driven Design 1nd Edition. Fry, B. (n.d.). Visualizing Data. O’Reilly Online Learning. Retrieved May 5, 2021