A good data visualization can reveal and communicate insights. But bad graphs abound. In this episode, Cole chats with Ben Jones about misleading graphs. They discuss a number of common issues, including missorted time, miscalculated area, going against expected norms, spurious correlations, and more. Tune in for tips on how to read graphs and spot issues and avoid being duped, as well as strategies to consider when graphing data so the visualizations you create don’t inadvertently misinform.

LINKS:

Ben Jones | @dataremixed | Data Literacy

Books by Ben mentioned: Learning to See Data, Avoiding Data Pitfalls

Ben’s repository of graphical gaffes: What NOT to Do

Book: Mind in Motion (Barbara Tversky)

Book: Graphic Methods for Presenting Facts (Williard C. Brinton)

Article: Linear vs. Quadratic Change (Robert Kosara)

Article: Why not to use two axes, and what to do instead (Lisa Charlotte Rost)

Article: The public do not understand logarithmic graphs used to portray COVID-19

Site: ourworldindata.org

Site: spurious correlations

Site/books: Calling Bullshit (Carl Bergstrom & Jevin West)

Tweet/graph: Who emits the most? (Greta Thunberg)

Resource: Ben’s “16 chart reading tips” checklist

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