a crash course in data for information graphics

David HerzogMissouri School of Journalism and NICAR

Locating the data

Obtaining the data

Evaluating the data

Working with the data

Visualizing the data

“Database state of mind”

Data has to exist. Where? Online Offline

Government websites Data.gov U.S. Census Bureau FDIC Missouri Data Portal Missouri Accountability Portal

U.S. agency FOIA pages Drug Enforcement Administration

NGO sites Right-to-Know Network OpenMissouri.org NICAR database library ALA state agency databases wiki

Commercial services Socrata Infochimps Geocommons Foreclosure Radar Oil Price Information Service Search Systems Junar

Academic data catalogs ICPSR

Forms Forms.gov Web forms▪ Columbia parade permits

Records retention schedules

Reports State auditor U.S. Government Accountability Office U.S. Inspectors General

Google advanced search Look for data files Look for key words Look only on government sites

Data entry In the field At the office

Printouts/reports

Inspection forms

Download it

Write or request a scraper with ScraperWiki

Convert a PDF with CometDocs Zamzar

Just ask for it

Make an open-records request

U.S. Freedom of Information Act Passed in 1966 Amended in 1996 to include electronic

records

State open-records statutes Missouri Sunshine Law

Get the roadmap! Record layout File layout Data dictionary Code sheet

Metadata Data about the data

Look at it immediately when you get it It is what you asked for/expected? How many rows/records of data? Is the file format OK?

Does it look too good to be true?Beware of missing informationWho collected the information?How? What are their methods?Why?What is their agenda?Who supports them financially or

otherwise?

Notepad++ for PCsTextMate for Mac

Always keep original file

Never overwrite data columns

Tools Spreadsheets Database managers Google Refine Programming languages

Raw numbers, without context, rarely are interesting.

Ask: Compared to what?

Raw (amount) change New-Original

Percent change Change/Original

Per capita rates Per person Per x people

Percent of total Individual/Total

Ratio Apples/oranges

Averages Mean Median

Be curious!Cut out small slicesSpreadsheets for simple math and

comparisonsSpreadsheets for pivot tablesDatabase managers for more robust

analysisAlways ask: Is this correct?

Online software platforms

Desktop software

Contact David Herzog at

herzogd@missouri.edu Twitter: @davidherzog