Intro to data visualization with Tableau
UBC Library Research Commons
The Vancouver Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.
Learning objectives
- Recognize the characteristics of an effective visualization
- Format data for visualization
- Create a simple visualization using Tableau
Tableau Public
Limitations of the free version
- Visualizations cannot be saved locally
- Dataset limit of 1M records
- Cannot connect databases
Participating online
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Source data
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Sample map output
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“Data visualization is the graphical display of abstract information for two purposes: sense-making (also called data analysis) and communication.”
-Stephen Few, What is Data Visualization
Preattentive processing
The eye and brain’s ability to process certain visual properties almost instantly, without conscious effort.
Encoding quantities: length and size
Remove unnecessary content to focus the viewer
Use colors intentionally to encode information
Some guiding principles
- Choose clarity over variety
- Reduce burden on the reader
- Present data with integrity
Preparing your data
Each measure in one column
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Know your dataset
- How is it formatted?
- How many records are there?
- What are the variable labels?
- Is there a user guide or data dictionary?
Checking your work
Statistics Canada table 14-10-0017-02, Labour force characteristics by province, monthly, unadjusted for seasonality.