Visual Representation and Analysis of Data

Assignment #1

Visual Representation and Analysis of Data

Use the Library, magazine, newspaper, or the Internet to research and find a situation where data have been represented by a visual aid and where you believe the visual aid is being used in a manner that evokes emotion or in a manner that misrepresents these data. Note: Some graphics may not be copied and pasted into the DB thread correctly. Please insert your graphics into a Word document and attach the Word document to your DB post so your classmates are able to see your graphics. Discuss the following:

1. Explain in detail how you think the data are visually misrepresented or designed to evoke emotions that may cause someone to make an incorrect decision (and be sure to state which emotions).

2. What types of visual data representations do you find most informative? What about the data representation influences your belief?

3. What type of visual data representation do you think would best display percentage information? Why do you believe this?

4. What type of visual data representation do you think would best represent a comparison of similar data from three different companies (e.g., net annual profit for last year)? Choose 3 companies producing similar products, find their net profits for last year, and use your choice of data representation to construct a visual data display to demonstrate your thoughts. Did this visual representation work the way you intended? Explain your answer.

Assignment #2

Visual Representation and Analysis of Data

State Total murders1 Total firearms Handguns Rifles Shotguns Firearms (type unknown) Knives or cutting instruments Other weapons Hands, fists, feet, etc.2 Alaska 29 16 5 0 3 8 6 5 2 Arizona 339 222 165 14 9 34 49 59 9 Arkansas 153 110 52 4 6 48 22 17 4 California 1,790 1,220 866 45 50 259 261 208 101 Colorado 147 73 39 3 5 26 22 31 21 Connecticut 128 94 54 1 1 38 18 10 6 Delaware 41 28 18 0 3 7 8 2 3 District of Columbia 108 77 37 0 1 39 21 9 1 Georgia 522 370 326 16 16 12 61 83 8 Hawaii 7 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 3 Idaho 32 17 15 1 0 1 4 8 3 Illinois3 452 377 364 1 5 7 29 29 17 Indiana 284 183 115 9 12 47 36 43 22 Iowa 44 19 7 0 2 10 10 10 5 Kansas 110 73 31 3 5 34 11 16 10 Kentucky 150 100 77 6 5 12 13 24 13 Louisiana 485 402 372 10 8 12 28 29 26 Maine 25 12 3 1 1 7 4 7 2 Maryland 398 272 262 2 5 3 75 34 17 Massachusetts 183 122 52 0 1 69 30 22 9 Michigan 613 450 267 29 15 139 43 89 31 Minnesota 70 43 36 3 3 1 12 12 3 Mississippi 187 138 121 6 4 7 26 14 9 Missouri 364 276 158 13 9 96 28 42 18 Montana 18 7 2 3 1 1 4 5 2 Nebraska 65 42 35 2 1 4 7 9 7 Nevada 129 75 46 2 1 26 20 25 9 New Hampshire 16 6 1 2 1 2 4 6 0 New Jersey 379 269 238 1 5 25 51 41 18 New Mexico 121 60 45 2 2 11 21 32 8 New York 774 445 394 5 16 30 160 143 26 North Carolina 489 335 235 26 19 55 60 57 37 North Dakota 12 6 3 0 0 3 4 0 2 Ohio 488 344 187 8 13 136 44 80 20 Oklahoma 204 131 99 8 9 15 26 21 26 Oregon 77 40 13 1 2 24 22 10 5 Pennsylvania 636 470 379 8 19 64 73 66 27 Rhode Island 14 5 1 0 0 4 5 4 0 South Carolina 319 223 126 10 12 75 38 40 18 South Dakota 15 5 3 1 0 1 4 3 3 Tennessee 373 244 172 7 13 52 51 62 16 Texas 1,089 699 497 37 48 117 175 134 81 Utah 51 26 15 4 1 6 5 9 11 Vermont 8 4 2 0 0 2 2 2 0 Virginia 303 208 110 10 15 73 33 41 21 Washington 161 79 58 1 3 17 29 36 17 West Virginia 74 43 23 10 3 7 11 13 7 Wisconsin 135 80 60 7 3 10 21 13 21 Wyoming 15 11 7 0 0 4 0 1 3 Virgin Islands 38 31 27 0 0 4 5 2 0

1 Total number of murders for which supplemental homicide data were received.

2 Pushed is included in hands, fists, feet, etc.

3 Limited supplemental homicide data were received.

(FBI, 2011)

The table above for murders by weapon types is from the FBI’s Criminal Justice Services Division and represents the reported murders in each state for the year 2011. (Please see http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/table-20 for the referenced table.)

Complete the following and insert the required responses and descriptions in a Word document. Submit your Word documents in the Unit 5 IP Submissions area.

1. From the data in the table above, using the top 7 states for number of murders, construct a table showing the number of murders by each category of firearms.

2. From the data in the table above, using the top 7 states for number of murders, construct a pie chart representing the number of murders in each state committed with handguns; use percentages to make sure that the pie chart is correctly proportioned.

3. From the data in the table above, using the top 7 states for number of murders, construct a bar chart representing the number of murders in each state committed with handguns; use percentages to make sure that the bar chart is correctly proportioned.

4. From the data in the table above using the top 7 states for number of murders, construct an area chart representing the number of murders in each state committed with handguns; use actual numerical values and make sure the area chart is correctly proportioned.

5. Which of these three chart types do you think gives the most useful visual information about the data represented?

6. Is there another chart type that you think would better represent these data? Why or why not?

Reference

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2011). Table 20: Murder. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/table-20