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Change Over Time

In every aspect of our lives, key factors change over time. When we visualize these trends, previously hidden patterns jump into view. Those who take the time to remember the past in this way are better able to shape their future destiny.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Homicide rate since Ike

Nice chart from Angry Bear (hat tip Andrew Sullivan)
Posted by Question Man 01 at 7/01/2007 04:10:00 PM
Labels: criminal justice, nice chart

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The Trend is Your Friend

Welcome to the Change over Time blog where our focus is finding ways to make visualization of the most vital trend data easier to use, simpler to understand and readily available to all.

Favorite Links

  • Trends That Matter
  • The Big Picture
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • TechPresident
  • Swivel
  • Many Eyes
  • Gapminder
  • Calculated Risk
  • US Census Bureau Indicators
  • Iraq Reconstruction News
  • Brookings Inst. Iraq Index
  • Economagic
  • Now and Futures
  • Shadow Government Statistics
  • Flight Patterns over Time
  • Political Calculations
  • Ticker Sense
  • Bureau of Justice Statistics
  • Professor Pollkatz
  • Stop & Think

Trend Visualization Principles


1. Context Comes First. Ask all the subject matter experts: What are the most important factors? What's missing? What other factors must you include?

2.Create a History. Measure, record and archive a trend history of every important factor. For best results, measure at a relatively high frequency.

3. Look at ALL the Data. Once you have a history of the most important factors, you'll find charts with but a single variable will tell a powerful story all by themselves. Avoid beginning with the most complicated, most cluttered charts before you have established a good context by actually looking at each important factor on its own.

4. Share ALL Your Data. When you publish a chart, share the readily reusable data with the chart. Include the entire time range of the data you analyzed even if the charts you presented use a shorter interval.

5. Explain Your Calculations whenever you recombine or normalize your data; document your sources.

6. Show Your Thinking. Place explanatory text for your findings in close physical proximity to the your published trend charts. Data + Charts + Text creates a full package that encourages further conversation.

7. Insure Readability. Make sure the axes and titles and other text graphics are easily readable.


What principles do you see as contributing most to improved understanding and enhanced collaboration?


Please add your comments in one of this blog's posts. Thanks.





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Blog Archive

  • ►  2011 (16)
    • ►  October (2)
      • Taking the long term view of real median household...
      • Watch the trend, not just the latest data point
    • ►  September (9)
      • Doug Short has an excellent post up today Househol...
      • Providing some Context for looking at CPI charts
      • Drilling down into CPI 20 year trends
      • The impact of cpi changes
      • A 20 year cumulative view of headline cpi from FRE...
      • Calculated Risk's view of CPI
      • A Unique View of CPI from Doug Short
      • Taking a longer view of CPI trends
      • CPI - year over year; not looking pretty
    • ►  August (5)
      • Creating the context for successful analyses
      • Showing a key metric with multiple views: a nice e...
      • Reviewing the Situation
      • Common Weaknesses in Online Visualization & Storyt...
      • Telling a Story with Time Series Data
  • ▼  2007 (112)
    • ▼  July (10)
      • Ola Rosling presentation of Gapminder at Google He...
      • S&P 500 - Comparing nominal vs inflation adjusted...
      • Unveiling the Beauty of Statistics
      • Hans Rosling: GapCast #1 Health, Money & Sex in Sw...
      • Hans Rosling: New insights on poverty and life aro...
      • Hans Rosling: Debunking third-world myths
      • Graph Showing Public Opinion During World War II
      • White House Economic Statistics Briefing Room
      • St Louis Fed July 2007 National Economic Trends
      • Homicide rate since Ike
    • ►  June (37)
      • "It's still too early" or is it?
      • Iraq Transition Assistance Office - Weekly Status ...
      • Dept of State - Iraq Weekly Status Report June 13 ...
      • Ten Trend Charts from the DoD Quarterly Report
      • What's the Best Reporting Interval?
      • Near Real Time Reporting
      • Frequency of Reporting
      • Scraping Metrics - Part III: UN Report
      • Metrics inspired by the news part II - Prison Metr...
      • Bridging Rep. Kingston and Michael O'Hanlon's Conc...
      • Dangerous to have too few metrics or the wrong met...
      • A "Manageable" Number of Indicators
      • NY Times charts based on DoD report
      • Metric Ideas culled from the news
      • Measuring Stability and Security In Iraq: June 20...
      • Unabated Violence - washingtonpost.com
      • UN report on surge progress
      • Language and the 18 benchmarks
      • GAO May 15 Rebuilding Iraq Report
      • Postponing the Moment of Truth
      • Revisiting "See You In September"
      • Old problems plague new security plan for Iraq
      • Applying Trend Analysis Principles with Brilliant ...
      • Washington Post. Forecast on Iraq
    • ►  May (4)
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