Michelle Minkoff

Keep it subtle, stupid: Differentiating data values in visualizations

January 25th, 2010

I’m not anything resembling a visual genius, but I like to believe I have enough of an eye that I can tell what works and what doesn’t. The reason Tufte’s books are so helpful is that they tell me why something works, and give me rules so I know what I can and can’t do. That’s why I have great appreciation for the Tufte chapter of the week: “The Smallest Effective Difference” in my ongoing exploration of “Visual Explanations.” (I’m also reading his other books on the side, and more on that in the coming week.) (more…)

Tags: color schemes, colors, data, data values, data visualization, distinctions, edward tufte, genius, glance, hadn, intensity, rainbow color, s books, subject matter, subtle, tufte, usa today, usa today weather, variables, visual explanations, visual focus, visualization, weather map
Posted in class, tufte | No Comments »

How to “Group By” in Excel

January 20th, 2010

Random time-saving Excel tip. Want to condense a long column to only display unique entries? Go to the Data menu, select Filter and Advanced Filter. Voila, a check box labeled "Unique records only". Don't know why I never noticed this before. Or, you know, you could use Group By in SQL. But no need to import databases just for filtering.

Tags: databases, excel, group by, random time, sql, unique records
Posted in CAR, excel, sql | No Comments »

Changes in the numbers of students majoring in programming and social sciences

January 19th, 2010

What is a traditional path to programming nowadays? It's a question I've been thinking about a lot, esp. in the realm of the journalist-programmer. So many people from the older school of journalism came through using databases as tools to help with reporting, not because they took a class in it. That's certainly encouraging for someone like me Read More...

Tags: argonne, car data, class, comp sci majors, computer assisted reporting, computer science degrees, computer scientist, data visualizations, databases, distinction, future project, gender breakdown, gender race, getting computer, journalist, journalists, national science foundation, point questions, processing, programmer, school of journalism, social science degrees, traditional path, wheels
Posted in CAR, class, data visualizations, processing | 3 Comments »

Committing fact errors in visualizations

January 18th, 2010

At Medill, there's a wonderful tradition called the "Medill F." Make a factual error of any sort, and you fail the assignment. The sadistic part of me likes it -- a journalist's job is to tell the truth. If you miss the mark, you've failed the public, and failed at your job for the day. Harsh but true Read More...

Tags: analogy, apps, data visualizations, editorial judgment, edward tufte, errors, fact, fact errors, factual error, images, journalism, journalist, medill, pictorial instructions, politifact, quotes, sin of omission, sleight of hand, standpoint, strong one, to tell the truth, tradition, tufte, visual explanation, visualization, visualizations
Posted in class, data visualizations, tufte | No Comments »

Collaborating with computers to parse “big data”

January 18th, 2010

Picture it: You've been given a new story assignment, and you have to leave for the interview in five minutes. You've got to have enough background to ask the right questions, but there's no time to do research. Somehow pulling that all-nighter on an English term paper in college seems like a cakewalk Read More...

Tags: ace reporter, achilles heel, aspen institute, believer, big data, big picture, cakewalk, cause and effect, colleague, computer time, computers, correlation, english term paper, human brains, knowledge gaps, millisecond, nuance, page pdf, peril, statistical ethics, story assignment, travel time
Posted in CAR, sql, theory, web | No Comments »

Data Delver: Ted Mellnik, Charlotte Observer database editor

January 12th, 2010

Computer-assisted reporting is important because of its potential for reporting and analysis. Visualization is important to present the information to readers. They both fall under the responsibilities of Ted Mellnik, database editor at the Charlotte Observer. His passion for data is as clear from a conversation with him as it is from his work Read More...

Tags: assignment reporter, black mayor, car story, charlotte observer, colleagues, computer assisted reporting, conversations, data delvers, database editor, first encounter, graphics team, interviewees, journalist, journalists, notion, obse, programmer, relational database manager, spreadsheets, ted mellnik, using technology, visualization
Posted in CAR, class, data delvers, data visualizations | No Comments »

Why technology matters: It’s about reporting

January 11th, 2010

"Figure out what you want to do, and get really good at it." That's been the overarching advice I've heard in the past few weeks, as I seek to understand where I might fit in the "new media" world. It all sounds fine, although the more I meet interesting people who've been looking at data analysis and web presentation for a long time, the more it becomes apparent that getting "really good at it" is a lifelong endeavor Read More...

Tags: content creation, disciplines, fears, frustration, gook, heading, hundreds of thousands, journalism, journalist, journalists, lifelong endeavor, long time, love and respect, mentors, new tools, new ways, online communities, reporting, save, struggle, technology, web presentation
Posted in CAR, programming, theory, web | No Comments »

Importance of combining data analysis with context (reflections on readings from week two)

January 11th, 2010

"Visual and Statistical Thinking: Displays of Evidence for Making Decisions," Edward Tufte, Visual Explanations This chapter gave practical examples of something I've been saying from almost the first day of my data analysis journey -- that it's absolutely fundamental that the decisions behind the analysis are shown to the reader/user Read More...

Tags: audience, class, clue, component parts, data, data visualizations, databases, dataset, education finance, edward tufte, half the battle, industry education, ins and outs, journalists, journey, making decisions, methodology, openness, punch, transparency, tufte, visual explanations, visualizing data
Posted in class, data visualizations, theory, tufte | No Comments »

Which states have been hit hardest by unemployment in the last decade?

January 10th, 2010

For the past week, we've been hearing a lot of media coverage focusing on issues both encouraging and discouraging, looking with excitement at the beginning of a new decade. But what captured my attention most recently was the release of unemployment figures from the end of 2009. If you look at the glass as half full, it's got to go up from here sometime soon, and if you look it as half empty, we're not starting in a strong economic place Read More...

Tags: class, computer assisted reporting, data visualization, data visualizations, databases, medill, processing, visualization, visualizations, visualizing data
Posted in CAR, class, data visualizations | 1 Comment »

Michelle Minkoff

Keep it subtle, stupid: Differentiating data values in visualizations

Committing fact errors in visualizations

Collaborating with computers to parse “big data”

Data Delver: Ted Mellnik, Charlotte Observer database editor

Why technology matters: It’s about reporting

Importance of combining data analysis with context (reflections on readings from week two)

Which states have been hit hardest by unemployment in the last decade?

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