PDC09: Graphic Communication in Research

Session Type: Professional Development Course

Abstract

Graphical displays of data have long been recommended for conveying key messages and information in studies across the quantitative social sciences. The objective of this course is to teach both conceptual graphic principles and practical skills for data visualization. It consists of lectures, pair and group discussions, and hands-on practice of graphic principles and data visualization programming skills. Participants will learn basic principles for making impactful graphics; learn how to distinguish junk graphics from good ones; and create basic graphics and web-based interactive graphics during the course. This course is designed for researchers and graduate students who are interested in using graphics to present quantitative data. The R language will be used for hands-on exercises, so basic familiarity with R is preferred. Participants are required to bring their own laptop to the workshop and download R and RStudio in advance.

Sub Unit

• Professional Development and Training Committee

Instructors

• Yan Liu, Harvard University

• Alexander Volfovsky, Harvard University

• Howard Wainer, National Board of Medical Examiners