Good Examples

As early assignments, you will find example visualizations, datasets, and tools online, then tell the class about what you find. In each case, you should briefly post what you find on this blog, then in 5 minutes or less, present what you find to the class. Below we define good examples, posts and presentations for all types of examples, and then for each:

• For all example types
• Examples
• Must be online so they can easily be shown to class
• Need not be something no other class members have selected, though uniqueness will be rewarded
• Posts
• Need only be a few paragraphs long
• If the post is longer, should include a jump break (icon is torn page) for skimmability
• Should include one image, before any jump break
• Must include a link to the example
• If others have already posted about your example, should focus on new information
• Presentations
• Should take at most 5 minutes, but still be information rich. You should therefore understand what you will present well, so that you can get the salient points across quickly. This "elevator pitch" skill is something you should practice -- indeed these pitches are an effective way to begin all your presentations, even if they are one hour long.
• Should be highly visual, including your post image and others
• If others have already presented your example, should focus on new information
• Visualizations
• Definition
• An image conveying some sort of information
• Can use any tool or data
• Should ideally be interactive and drawn from online data, though these are not requirements
• Posts
• Must be tagged "visualizations"
• Title should begin with "Viz: "
• Should explain
• The data being visualized
• The mapping used to visualize the data, and therefore what the visualization means
• How effective and useful you think the visualization is, and why
• Presentations
• Should show the visualization, and if possible include interaction with it
• Should explain, as above in posts, the data, the mapping, and effectiveness/utility
• Datasets
• Definition
• Can be databases, APIs, feeds, scrapeable websites or other
• Must be usable in any visualization, or with most tools
• Can be the same data used in your visualization example
• Posts
• Must be tagged "data"
• Title should begin with "Data: "
• Should explain
• The content of the data, and its importance
• The authors/owners of the data
• The manner in which the data can be accessed (download, API, etc)
• Presentations
• May demonstrate data access, if possible
• Should explain data content, importance, authorship, and access
• Tools
• Definition
• Must be usable with any data
• Should ideally run online
• Can be the same tools used to build the visualization you select, or to access the data you select, though they should not be useful only for that visualization or data
• Posts
• Must be tagged "tools"
• Title should begin with "Tool: "
• Should explain
• The intended use of the tool
• The authors/owners of the tool
• The assumptions made for tool use (e.g. only a Perl API)
• How the tool has been used in practice
• Presentations
• May demonstrate tool use, if possible
• Should explain intended use, authorship, assumptions and example uses