J560

Interactive data visualization

About this class

The goal of J560 is to arm journalists with the skills and theory necessary to create meaningful data visualizations and informational graphics. Data journalism has evolved by leaps and bounds in the last 30 years, aided by many factors, including:

  • the advent of cloud computing providing inexpensive access to datasets
  • legislation favoring making data available to citizens
  • the popularity of sharing coding knowledge via the Internet
  • the development of sophisticated software and computer languages to craft meaningful visualizations.

These factors benefit you, whether you are just starting on your data visualization journey or have some experience already.

In this course you will study both static charts and diagrams and interactive graphics. Although most designers define data visualizations as more open-ended than their informational graphic counterpart, both are equally important to master. Whether you want to create a 200-point scatterplot to illustrate global infant mortality rates or a 20-day NYSE stock chart, your goal is the same — the most clear, concise display of the data. This course will cover the guiding principles on displaying different kinds of data. Students will apply these best practices as they learn the current software applications and coding data journalists employ. Your required text and supplementary readings will explore how to break down complex information data, and for each week’s readings you will seek a data graphic that exemplifies one of the principles. There are many ways to express data visually, so we hope the course will challenge your creativity as well as inform you of the best methods.

The course is divided roughly into two halves. In the first half, you will:

  • Learn how to create bar, line, pie and other charts, maps and cartograms through Flourish and DataWrapper online data software
  • Study data handling and cleaning techniques through Microsoft Excel
  • Code using basic HTML and CSS coding to create web pages
  • Develop an understanding of color and visual theories behind proper data display

In the second half, you will:

  • Apply what you have learned toward the creation of interactive data visualizations using Javascript coding language

NOTE: This course is designed for both graduate students pursuing a degree and professionals interested in gaining the four-course Data Journalism certificate. We recommend you take J560 Data for Journalists and I590 Visual Design before starting this course.

Course objectives

Completion of this course means that over the next 15 weeks, you will learn to:

  • Seek and find data from online sources, and clean and prepare spreadsheets (in Microsoft Excel) for visual encoding of key informative components
  • Evaluate data to identify key information, in many cases making necessary calculations to derive informative, quantitative values
  • Develop an ability to determine how most effectively to encode data into a visual presentation that attracts the reader/user/viewer and conveys vital content
  • Write informative and concise text to accompany visualizations as display (headlines and labels) and as summary explainers/tooltips that add context to charted data
  • Employ a variety of online tools to create a series of interactive charts and maps on a wide range of topics from provided data sets
  • Use design (color and typography) and coding (HTML/CSS/JS) skills to build visually compelling and appropriately focused data visualizations
  • Build and publish a class portfolio (as a published, multi-page website) that will showcase your abilities to successfully accomplish all of the above.

Professional values + competencies

The Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications requires that graduates of accredited programs be aware of certain core values and competencies. In J560, we will particularly emphasize the following values:

  • present images and information effectively and creatively, using appropriate tools and technologies;
  • apply critical thinking skills in conducting research and evaluating information by methods appropriate to the communications professions in which they work;
  • effectively and correctly apply basic numerical and statistical concepts;
  • apply tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions in which they work;
  • write correctly and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the communications professions, audiences and purposes they serve;
  • demonstrate an understanding of professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity;
  • critically evaluate their own work and that of others for accuracy and fairness, clarity, appropriate style and grammatical correctness;
  • contribute to knowledge appropriate to the communications professions in which they work.

For a full list of ACEJMC standards, please see www.acejmc.org/policies-process/principles/