Improving research communication with data visualisation

Abstract

Data visualisation can be a very efficient method of identifying patterns in data or communicating findings to broad audiences. Good data visualisation requires appreciation and careful consideration of the technical aspects of data presentation. But it also involves a creative element. Authorial choices are made about the “story” we want to tell, and design decisions are driven by the need to convey that story most effectively to our audience. Software systems use default settings for most graphical elements. However, each visualisation has its own story to tell, and so we must actively consider and choose settings for the visualisation under construction.

In July 2023, the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) published a new guide, “Best Practices for Data Visualisation”, containing insights, advice, and examples (with code) to make data outputs more readable, accessible, and impactful. The guide was initially written primarily for contributors to RSS publications but the information and advice within is also of broad relevance and use for any data visualisation task. The guide is open source, and has received contributions from the wider data visualisation and statistics communities. In this talk, Nicola will showcase why you should visualise data and how the RSS guide was developed, present some guidelines for making better charts to improve communication, before we discuss examples of good and bad charts.