Presenting Data Visually

Presenting Data Visually

      Written by Ari Julianto

Many skripsi or theses need to present substantial amounts of information, usually empirical data. Welldesigned visual presentations are powerful because they can present these data sets without overloading readers. Clear presentations will enrich your analysis. They will help you think about the data and explore its meanings.

There are four main types of visual presentations for data,

1. Maps for geographic and spatial information.
If your skripsi or thesis contains important geographical information, you should include maps tailored to your needs. Spatial dimensions are crucial to many topics: war, nationalism, immigration, urban studies, environmental changes, and more. If you are studying one of these topics, look for good maps to download or scan. When you find one during your research, make a special note of it so you can use it later (with proper citation, of course). In most cases, you don’t need to create your own maps from scratch. Existing maps are perfectly fine, although you may wish to add a few labels and arrows to highlight points of special interest.

2. Verbal tables and figures for arguments and concise analysis.
Verbal tables contain written information, such as lists of wars and dates, rather than numbers. They are valuable tools and, in my opinion,should be used more often in theses, articles, and books. Figures are rather like free-form tables and are equally useful. The figure with overlapping circles contrasts sharply with separate boxes for the traditional approach.If you borrow figures like these from another author, remember that you need to cite them, just as you do maps, paintings, photographs, architectural drawings, and any other visual materials. The rule is simple: If you use others’ work, give them credit. Figures are also useful for presenting causal analysis.

3. Pictures, posters, and drawings for illustration of important points.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it will be worth more if you use another ten words to introduce it.Unless you are studying art, cultural history, or consumer marketing, your thesis probably doesn’t need pictures. Never use them for decoration, and think twice before using them to illustrate. They may distract, not enhance. Follow the usual rule: Use nothing extraneous.

4. Charts and graphs for numerical data.
If your thesis includes substantial data, you’ll need to think about the best ways to present it—ways that are accurate, clear to your readers, and well integrated into your paper. For small data sets, say ten or twelve numbers, tables are usually the best solution. But for larger data sets, tables have serious drawbacks. It’s hard for readers to absorb a dense array of numbers, hard to discern the key features and major trends. You’ll do better using well-designed charts or graphs. Charts is the more general term, referring to any display of information, whether it’s a pie chart or an organizational chart. Graphs are simply charts that display quantitative information on axes, such as the x- and y-axes on graph paper.

To be remembered:
- The one that’s best for your presentation depends on the kind of analysis you are conducting.
- You need to cite the source, and you need to introduce these visual elements in the text, just as you would a long quotation.
- Whenever you use graphs, maps, tables, photographs, or any visual materials, cite the original sources, just as you do for other kinds of information.
- Give credit where credit is due, whether it’s for words, ideas, drawings, or other work.Giving that credit is simple: list the source immediately below the image. For example:
Source: Philip J. Haythornthwaite, The World War One Source Book (London: Arms and Armour Press, 1993).
- If you have modified an existing visual image, say that, too. For example:
Source: Philip J. Haythornthwaite, The World War One Source Book (London: Arms and Armour Press, 1993), 41, casualty figures added.

I hope today's posting will be useful for all of us. Amien.

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