Data Literacy, Datasets, Data Visualization, Data Management: Visualization Types

Examples:

• lists of data items, organized by a single feature (e.g., alphabetical order)
  (not commonly visualized)

Examples (geospatial):

• choropleth

  

  Tools: GeoCommons, Google Fusion Tables, Google Maps API, Polymaps, d3/Protovis, Many Eyes, Google Charts, Tableau Public, Sci2, TileMill

  Image:
  Drzyzga, S. (2009). Prevalence of Foodstamp Use.
  CC BY-NC 2.0

• cartogram

  

  Tools: d3/Protovis (Dorling Cartogram)

  Image:
  Morrison, J. (2008). Cartogram of election results based on data from FiveThirtyEight.com..
  CC BY-NC 2.0

• dot distribution map

  

  Tools: GeoCommons, Google Fusion Tables, Google Maps API, Polymaps, Tableau Public, Sci2, TileMill

  Image:
  Chun, B. (2010). Dots in My Neighborhood.
  CC BY-SA 2.0

• proportional symbol map

  

  Tools: GeoCommons, Google Fusion Tables, Google Maps API, Polymaps, d3/Protovis, Many Eyes, Tableau Public, Sci2, TileMill

  Image:
  Hirst, T. (2008). Proportional symbol map.
  CC BY 2.0

• contour/isopleth/isarithmic map

  

  Tools: TileMill

  Image:
  Seattle Municipal Archives. (2008/1938). Green Lake depth contour map.
  CC BY 2.0

• dasymetric map

  

  Tools:

  Image:
  Cathey, H. M. (1990). USDA Hardiness Zones in North America.
  Public Domain

Examples (artificial planes):

• self-organizing map

  

  Tools: Synapse, Matlab
  
  Examples: Last.fm, In Terms of Geography

  Image created in Matlab from sample data set.

Broadly, examples of scientific visualization:

• 3D computer models
• surface and volume rendering
• computer simulations

See also:

• Wills, G. (2012). Visualizing Time. New York: Springer.

Examples:

• timeline

  

  Tools: SIMILE Timeline, TimeFlow, Timeline JS, Excel

  Image:
  Friendly, M. & Denis, D. J. (2001). Milestones in the history of thematic cartography, statistical graphics, and data visualization. Web document, http://www.datavis.ca/milestones/. Accessed: August 30, 2012.

• time series

  

  Tools: most statistical and charting software, R (A Little Book of R for Time Series), Timeplot, TimeSearcher, Google Charts, Tableau Public, Google Fusion Tables

  Image:
  Copley, Z. (2012). Annual Mean Temperature Charts.
  CC BY-SA 2.0

• connected scatter plot

  

  Tools: Protovis, JMP, Excel (order data by time, add "Line" to data series in scatter plot)

  Examples: Driving Shifts into Reverse, Driving Safety, in Fits and Starts

  Image created in Excel with data from Anscombe's quartet.

• Gantt chart

  

  Tools: Excel

  Image created in Excel with randomized data.

• stream graph/ThemeRiver

  

  Tools: original Java code, Data Wrapper, d3/Protovis, HTML5/JavaScript, Python, Excel

  Examples: The Ebb and Flow of Movies
  
  Image created by code in d3 "examples/stream/" directory.

• arc diagram

  

  (e.g., Thread Arcs, Shape of Song)

  Tools: Protovis
  
  Image created by sample Protovis code.

• polar area/rose/circumplex chart

  

  Tools: Protovis, Excel

  Image included in sample Excel spreadsheet.

• sankey diagram

  

  Tools: JavaScript, d3 plugin

  Image:
  LHOON. (2006). Sankey diagram of thermodynamic steam cycle.
  CC BY-SA 3.0

• alluvial diagram

  

  Tools: Alluvial Generator

  Image:
  Rosvall, M., & Bergstrom, C. T. (2010). Mapping change in large networks. PLoS ONE, 5(1), e8694.
  CC BY 2.5

Examples (category proportions, counts):

• pie chart

  

  Tools: most statistical and charting software, Many Eyes, Google Charts, Tableau Public, Google Fusion Tables

  Image created in Excel with randomized data.

• histogram

  

  Tools: most statistical and charting software, Protovis, Many Eyes

  Image:
  Pyrsmis. (2008). Black cherry tree histogram.
  CC BY-SA 3.0

• Wordle, tag cloud

  

  Tools: Wordle, Many Eyes, d3

  Image:
  Pyrsmis. (2011). Word cloud comparison of two State of the Union speeches by two U.S. presidents.
  CC BY-SA 3.0

• unordered bubble chart/bubble cloud

  

  Tools: Many Eyes, d3/Protovis

  Tutorial: Vallandingham, J. (2012). Building a bubble cloud.

  Image created by code in d3 "examples/bubble/" directory.

• bar chart, radial bar chart

  

  Tools: most statistical and charting software, Many Eyes, Google Charts, Tableau Public, High Charts, Google Fusion Tables

  Image created in Excel with data from Anscombe's quartet.

• tree map

  

  Tools: d3/Protovis, Many Eyes, Google Charts, Network Workbench/Sci2

  Image created by code in d3 "examples/treemap/" directory.

Examples (relationships between variables):

• scatter plot

  

  Tools: most statistical and charting software, Many Eyes, Google Charts, Tableau Public, Google Fusion Tables

  Image created in Excel with data from Anscombe's quartet.

• bubble chart

  

  Tools: Excel, d3, Gapminder, Google Charts, Tableau Public

  Image:
  Jung, J. (2009). Bubble Chart White.
  CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

• line chart

  

  Tools: most statistical and charting software, Many Eyes, Google Charts, Tableau Public, Google Fusion Tables

  Tips: Aisch, G. (2012). Doing the line charts right.

  Image:
  Copley, Z. (2012). Annual Mean Temperature Charts.
  CC BY-SA 2.0

• step chart

  

  Tools: most statistical and charting software, R, Excel, Protovis, Google Charts

  Image:
  Weld, W. E. (1959). How To Chart: Facts From Figures With Graphs. Norwood, MA: Codex Book Company, Inc.
  CC-BY-SA-3.0

• area chart/stacked graph

  

  Tools: most statistical and charting software, Protovis, Many Eyes, Google Charts, Google Fusion Tables

  Image:
  Grape City, Inc. (2009). Spread 5 for Windows Forms.
  CC BY-SA 2.0

• heat map

  

  Tools: Excel (conditional formatting), d3 (calendar), Protovis

  Image created in Excel with data from Anscombe's quartet.

• parallel coordinates/parallel sets

  

  Tools: d3/Protovis

  Image created by code in d3 "examples/parallel/" directory.

• radar/spider chart

  

  Tools: Excel

  Image:
  Jung, J. (2008). Radar Chart A White.
  CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

• box and whisker plot/candlestick chart

  

  Tools: most statistical and charting software, Protovis, Google Charts

  Image:
  Schutz. (2006). Boxplot representing Michelson and Morley's data on the speed of light.
  Public Domain

• mosaic display/Marimekko chart

  

  Tools: d3

  Image created by code in d3 "examples/marimekko/" directory.

• waterfall chart

  

  Tools: Excel

  Image:
  Hjohar. (2009). Example of waterfall chart.
  Public Domain

• tabular comparison of charts (e.g., pairs plots)

  Tools: R, Protovis, Many Eyes, Tableau Public

• small multiples

  Tools: manual juxtaposition of charts from statistical and charting software, Tableau Public

Examples:

• general tree visualization

  

  Tools: d3, Google Charts, Network Workbench/Sci2

  Image:
  Jung, J. (2008). 3-18 Issue Tree White.
  CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

• dendrogram

  

  Tools: Protovis

  Image created by sample Protovis code.

• radial tree

  

  Tools: d3/Protovis, Network Workbench/Sci2

  Image created by sample Protovis code.

• hyperbolic tree

  

  Tools: d3

  Image created by code in d3 "examples/cluster/" directory.

• tree map

  

  Tools: d3/Protovis, Many Eyes, Google Charts, Network Workbench/Sci2

  Image created by code in d3 "examples/treemap/" directory.

• wedge stack graph (radial hierarchy)/sunburst

  

  Tools: d3/Protovis

  Image created by code in d3 "examples/partition/" directory.

• icicle/partition chart

  

  Tools: d3/Protovis
  
  Image created by code in d3 "examples/partition/" directory.

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Examples:

• matrix

  

  Tools: d3/Protovis

  Image created by sample Protovis code.

• node-link diagram (link-based layout algorithm)

  

  Tools: Pajek, Gephi, NodeXL, VOSviewer, UCINET, GUESS, Network Workbench/Sci2, sigma.js, d3/Protovis, Many Eyes, Google Fusion Tables

  Image created by sample Protovis code.

• dependency graph/circular hierarchy

  

  Tools: d3, Network Workbench/Sci2

  Image created by code in d3 "examples/bundle/" directory.

• hive plot

  

  Tools: d3

  Image created by code in d3 "examples/hive/" directory.

• alluvial diagram

  

  Tools: Alluvial Generator

  Image:
  Rosvall, M., & Bergstrom, C. T. (2010). Mapping change in large networks. PLoS ONE, 5(1), e8694.
  CC BY 2.5

• subway/tube map

  

  Tools: Subway map jQuery plugin

  Image:
  Jung, J. (2008). Yahoo YDN Metro Map White.
  CC BY-NC-SA 2.0