Unit-2 Data Visualization Methods

Univariate Data Visualization: Bar Chart, Histograms, Frequency Polygram, Box Plots, Dot
Plots - Bivariate Data Visualization -Multivariate Data Visualization: Histogram Matrix,
Scatter plots Matrix, Multiple Box Plot and Trellis Plot -Visualizing Groups -Dynamic
Techniques-Text and narrative Visualization
Univariate Data Visualization
This type of data consists of only one variable. The analysis of univariate data is thus the
simplest form of analysis since the information deals with only one quantity that changes. It
does not deal with causes or relationships and the main purpose of the analysis is to describe
the data and find patterns that exist within it. The example of a univariate data can be height.
Bar Chart
A bar chart or bar graph is a chart that represents categorical data with rectangular bars with
heights proportional to the values that they represent. Here one axis of the chart plots categories
and the other axis represents the value scale. The bars are of equal width which allows for
instant comparison of data.
Histogram
A histogram is a graphical representation of data points organized into user-specified ranges.
Similar in appearance to a bar graph, the histogram condenses a data series into an easily
interpreted visual by taking many data points and grouping them into logical ranges or bins.

Class Interval Frequency

0-5 1
5-10 2
10-15 2
15-20 3
20-25 1
25-30 3

Frequency Polygram
A frequency polygon is a line graph of class frequency plotted against class midpoint. It can be
obtained by joining the midpoints of the tops of the rectangles in the histogram

Formula to Find Midpoint of Frequency Polygons

If you want to plot a frequency polygon graph, you must figure out the midpoint or class mark
for each of the class intervals. The following is the formula to achieve that:
 Class Mark (Midpoint) = (Upper Limit + Lower Limit) / 2

Goals Scored Frequency

0 3
1 7
2 8
3 12
4 2
5 5

Box Plots
Box Plot is a graphical method to visualize data distribution for gaining insights and making
informed decisions. Box plot is a type of chart that depicts a group of numerical data through
their quartiles.
Box plot is a graphical representation of the distribution of a dataset. It displays key summary
statistics such as the median, quartiles, and potential outliers in a concise and visual manner.
By using Box plot you can provide a summary of the distribution, identify potential and
compare different datasets in a compact and visual manner.
Elements of Box Plot
A box plot gives a five-number summary of a set of data which is-
1. Minimum – It is the minimum value in the dataset excluding the outliers.
2. First Quartile (Q1) – 25% of the data lies below the First (lower) Quartile.
 3. Median (Q2) – It is the mid-point of the dataset. Half of the values lie below it and half
above.
4. Third Quartile (Q3) – 75% of the data lies below the Third (Upper) Quartile.
5. Maximum – It is the maximum value in the dataset excluding the outliers.

Dot Plots
A dot plot is a simple form of data visualization that consists of data points plotted as dots on
a graph with an x- and y-axis. These types of charts are used to graphically depict certain data
trends or groupings.
Types of Dot Plot
There are two types of dot plot: Wilkinson dot plot and Cleveland dot plot.
Wilkinson Dot Plot
The Wilkinson dot plot represents the distribution of continuous data in the form of individual
dots for each value. For example, if 10 students like math it is represented by 10 dots on a dot
plot. In the above example of the number of kids vaccinated, the first graph showing 7 dots for
colony A, 3 dots for colony B, etc is an example of a Wilkinson dot plot.

Colony A B C D
Number of babies vaccinated 7 3 5 1
Cleveland Dot Plot
The Cleveland dot plot is a good alternative to a simple bar map if you have more than a few
elements. It doesn't take much to look cluttered on a bar map. Many more values can be used
in a dot plot in the same amount of space, and it's also simpler to read. This type of plot is
similar to a bar chart but uses a location instead of the length of the bar formed by multiple
dots. Just like how the height of the bar chart represents the number of items, the position of
the dot on the number line or on the graph represents the number of items for that category. In
the above example of vaccinated children in 4 colonies, the second graph showing only one
dot for each colony is an example of a Cleveland dot plot.

Bivariate Data Visualization

Bivariate graphs display the relationship between two variables. The type of graph will depend on the
measurement level of the variables (categorical or quantitative). Common bivariate plots include scatter
plots, line plots, and bar plots.
Scatter Plots
A scatter plot displays the relationship between two continuous variables. Each point on the plot
represents an observation, with the x-axis representing one variable and the y-axis representing the
other.
Types of correlation
The scatter plot explains the correlation between two attributes or variables. It represents how closely
the two variables are connected. There can be three such situations to see the relation between the two
variables –
1. Positive Correlation
2. Negative Correlation
3. No Correlation

Positive Correlation
When the points in the graph are rising, moving from left to right, then the scatter plot shows a positive
correlation. It means the values of one variable are increasing with respect to another. Now positive
correlation can further be classified into three categories:

 Perfect Positive – Which represents a perfectly straight line

 High Positive – All points are nearby
 Low Positive – When all the points are scattered

Negative Correlation
When the points in the scatter graph fall while moving left to right, then it is called a negative
correlation. It means the values of one variable are decreasing with respect to another. These are also
of three types:

 Perfect Negative – Which form almost a straight line

 High Negative – When points are near to one another
 Low Negative – When points are in scattered form
No Correlation
When the points are scattered all over the graph and it is difficult to conclude whether the
values are increasing or decreasing, then there is no correlation between the variables.

Line Plots
A line plot displays the relationship between two continuous variables, with one variable represented
on the x-axis and the other on the y-axis. Line plots are useful for showing trends over time.
Bar Plots
A bar plot displays the relationship between two categorical variables. Each bar represents a category,
with the height of the bar representing the value of the second variable.
Bivariate Plots on Numerical VS Numerical
Bivariate plots for numerical vs. numerical data are used to visualize the relationship between two
numerical variables. They are useful for identifying trends, patterns, and correlations. Common
bivariate plots for numerical vs. numerical data include scatter plots, line plots, and 2D histograms.
Bivariate plots for Numerical vs. Categorical Data
Bivariate plots for numerical vs. categorical data are used to visualize the relationship between a
numerical variable and a categorical variable. They are useful for identifying differences, trends, and
patterns. Common bivariate plots for numerical vs. categorical data include box plots, violin plots, and
swarm plots.

A violin plot distributions of numeric data for one or more

The width of each curve corresponds with the approximate frequency of data points in each region.
Densities are frequently accompanied by an overlaid chart type, such as box plot, to provide additional
information.

Bivariate Plots on Categorical VS Categorical

Bivariate plots for categorical vs. categorical data are used to visualize the relationship between two
categorical variables. They are useful for identifying patterns, frequencies, and associations. Common
bivariate plots for categorical vs. categorical data include contingency tables, mosaic plots, and stacked
bar plots.

Multivariate Data Visualization:

Multivariate analysis takes place when you have a data set with 4 or more dependent variables
which are to be examined against an independent variable or variables. Traditionally, each
variable in an analysis -with 3 or fewer dependent variables – is given a dimension (or axis)
Histogram Matrix:
Use the Matrix Histogram plot in 2D () when you have a precomputed matrix that you want to
visualize as a 2D histogram. For example, in a fatigue analysis, you can use it for rainflow
counting to be able to visualize how the stress amplitudes and mean stresses are distributed.
Using this plot can then help to see how the actual damage is distributed between the different
stress levels. If a large fraction of the total damage is caused by loads that occur only a few
times, the statistical sample of the loads can be too small to reach any good conclusions.

Scatter plots Matrix

A scatterplot matrix is an attempt to extend the traditional 2D scatterplot to additional
dimensions. It works by representing pairs of variables in traditional scatterplots in a matrix
with all possible scatterplots created from pairs of variables in the data set.
It’s a very good tool for allowing quick comparison of similar data sets (as they are each
arranged next to each other in vertical and horizontal directions). This is easier to use for
analysis in some cases than the parallel coordinates method but there are drawbacks to this
method too, namely: it is difficult if not impossible to label the individual axes of the smaller
scatterplots (due to space constraints and legibility requirements) and there is no “global” view
of the data.
Multiple Box Plot
This can be accomplished by using boxplot() function, and we can also pass in a list, data frame
or multiple vectors to it. For this purpose, we need to put name of data into boxplot() function
as input in R programming.

Syntax: boxplot(x, data, notch, varwidth, names, main)

Parameters:
 x: This parameter sets as a vector or a formula.
 data: This parameter sets the data frame.
 notch: This parameter is the label for horizontal axis.
 varwidth: This parameter is a logical value. Set as true to draw
width of the box proportionate to the sample size.
 main: This parameter is the title of the chart.
 names: This parameter are the group labels that will be showed
under each boxplot.
Trellis plot
A trellis plot (also known as a lattice plot or panel plot) is a group of smaller plots arranged in
a grid. Each small plot represents a different condition or item, and all small plots share the
same scales. Trellis plots make complex or high-dimensional data easier to interpret due to the
common scales of small plots aligned in a grid, with each small plot containing a single
difference compared to the others.
In the trellis plot shown above, the single difference between small plots is the subject (Unique
Subject Identifier), (ALT) (blue) and BILI (red) can easily be contrasted both within and
between subjects, over the time course of the study (Study Day of Specimen Collection).

Dynamic Techniques
Dynamic charts are tools that display the latest data using interactive resources. They improve
visualization and analysis. These graphs are not dynamic because of motion effects, but
because they are based on flexible templates. They constantly adapt to data changes and
selected variables, so they do not respond to a fixed layout.
This way, users can visualize and identify patterns that match current trends. Unlike other static
charts, dynamic visualizations are highly interactive. Hence, the attributes of the objects
displayed are also adjustable.
Interactive vs. Linear Dynamic Visualizations
There are two types of dynamic data visualization: interactive and linear. You can choose
between these types based on the data presented and your purpose for the map.
Interactive charts enable users to determine their preferred presentation configurations. They
can introduce dynamic features during the visualization process or throughout the analysis.
For example, an interactive dynamic visualization might include animations. It can display
customizing options and live-streaming data.
Linear visualizations adjust automatically and do not allow for further alterations. Non-
interactive animations are an example of linear data visualizations.
Geographic Dynamic Visualization Wind Roses
Wind roses are valuable graphic tools to display wind conditions, speed, and direction. They
encompass a specific location throughout a given period.
Displayed as circular bar charts, wind roses use changes in position and color to show changes..
They include descriptive captions and help sailors, architects, or meteorologists in decision-
making processes.
The example featured includes a detailed wind rose covering 24 hours. You can effortlessly
identify the changes throughout the day. This dynamic visualization shows how simple graphs
aid research and display vital data.

Text and narrative Visualization

Text and narrative visualization" refers to a method of data presentation that combines textual
descriptions with visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps to tell a story and effectively
communicate complex information, essentially weaving a narrative around the data using both
written text and visual cues.
Key points about text and narrative visualization:
Storytelling focus:
The primary goal is to guide the audience through a narrative by using visuals to illustrate key
points and trends within the data, not just presenting raw numbers.
Integration of text and visuals:
Text is used to provide context, explain insights, and highlight important details while visuals
are used to represent the data in a visually appealing way.
Application areas:
This technique is widely used in fields like business intelligence, research, journalism, and
marketing to present complex data in a more understandable and engaging manner.
Examples of text and narrative visualization techniques:
Annotated charts:
A chart with explanatory text directly added to key points on the graph.
Timeline with narrative:
A visual timeline that includes descriptive text to explain events and their context.
Interactive dashboards:
Dashboards that allow users to explore data through visuals while reading accompanying text
explanations.
Word clouds with context:
A word cloud where the size of words indicates their frequency, combined with textual
summaries to explain the topics.
Narrative visualization
Narrative visualization is implemented using a storyboard that converts the text into a narrative
format to help the student to understand the course in a simple way. Dashboards are also a
narrative visualization technique which helps the student to have a glance of the course
material. The content of the text is processed, frequent words are generated and visualized in
the form of word cloud and other visualization methods to enable the student to understand and
remember the course in a better way as a part of text analytics and visualization. Various
techniques and tools including Canva storyboards, R, Tabulae and Power BI are employed in
this work to implement narrative and text visualization to enable the tutor to teach better and
make the teaching learning process easier.
Narrative Structure
The Oxford English Dictionary defines narrative as “an account of a series of events, facts,
etc., given in order and with the establishing of connections between them.” Central to this
definition is the notion of a chain of causally related events. Stories of this form often have a
beginning, middle, and end [3, 24]: an introduction to the situation, a series of events often
involving tension or conflict, and a resolution. Since ancient times, people have tried to
understand and formalize the elements of storytelling. For example, writers (e.g., [5, 19, 21])
have developed typologies of dramatic situations and identified plot lines common to many
narratives, such as the “hero’s journey” [5]. This research typically distinguishes between the
content of the story and the form in which it is told. While stories often concern interacting
characters, they may also present a sequence of facts and observations linked together by a
unifying theme or argument. Storytelling strategies vary among media and genre. For instance,
stories told through writing have access to a different set of formal mechanisms and narrative
structures (e.g., stream of consciousness) than stories told through film (e.g., split-screen
sequences [3]). Blundell [2] describes narrative devices for journalism such as the anecdotal
lead—an initial story, often involving dialogue and characters, that presents a microcosm of
the larger news story—and the nut graf—a paragraph explicitly describing the news value of
an article. These devices are largely unique to journalism, as opposed to literary fiction or film.
Visualizations themselves may incorporate a variety of media, including text, images and
video, and can also be interactive, enabling stories whose telling relies as much on the reader
as on the author.
Visual Narratives
Artists, designers, and psychologists have all explored ways in which visual media can be
organized to engender a narrative experience. They have developed nuanced techniques for
sequentially directing a viewer’s attention and keeping viewers oriented across transitions.
While a full treatment of these devices is beyond the scope of this paper, we present some
salient principles here. Manynarratives are rooted in a clear starting point. In visual media, an
establishing shot or overview [3, 19] is often used to introduce the scene. Of course, not all
elements in a scene are of equal importance throughout a story, and so authors often manipulate
a scene to direct attention to a point of interest. Psychologists have extensively studied
phenomena of visual salience [11, 17, 23], showing that outliers amongvisualfeatures such as
color, size, and orientation preferentially attract one’s attention. The strength of this attraction
is modulated by multiple factors [17], including the scene itself (e.g., a brightly colored object
is less salient when surrounded by other brightly colored objects) and by the viewer’s task (e.g.,
expectations and top-down search can affect what is perceived as most salient). Cultural
factors, particularly reading order (e.g., left-to-right) naturally bias where people look first and
how they scan an image [19]. Visual techniques can further establish the order in which the
eye visits elements in the scene. For example, gestalt grouping [26] via features such as spatial
proximity, containment, or connection may bias one towards first perceiving the grouped
content. Vectorial reference [18, 24], most commonly in the form of arrows, is a powerful
technique for sequentially directing attention. Visual media often involve changes of scene,
such as between the panels of a comic or across cuts in edited film. A number of devices have
been developed to orient a viewer during transitions. Continuity editing techniques in film [3],
such as matching on objects or actions, suggest the connection between scenes and may sustain
a focus of attention. Similarly, animation design [14, 24] often relies on object constancy and
de-emphasizes secondary details to keep viewers oriented; animators may also subdivide a
transition into stages to facilitate apprehension. Within comics, McCloud [19] proposes a
taxonomy of transition types consisting of moment-to-moment (one subject, short time period),
action-to-action (one subject, longer time period), subject-to-subject (different subjects, same
scene), scene-toscene (change of scene), aspect-to-aspect (“aspects of a place, idea, or mood”),
and non-sequitur (logically unconnected) transitions. In addition to continuity of objects or
actions, extra-pictorial elements [24] such as callouts (e.g., insets or lines to denote zooming)
and annotations are used to enrich a narrative. Not surprisingly, we will see that many of these
techniques are also applicable to narrative visualization.
Storytelling with Data Visualization
Though data visualization often evokes comparisons to storytelling [6, 7], the relationship
between the two is rarely articulated clearly. Jonathan Harris, the creator of We Feel Fine and
Whale Hunt, considers himself a storyteller first and a visualization designer second: “I think
people have begun to forget how powerful human stories are, exchanging their sense of
empathy for a fetishistic fascination with data, networks, patterns, and total information...
Really, the data is just part of the story. The human stuff is the main stuff, and the data should
enrich it.” Yet when pressed to describe what he means by “story,” he responds with only a
rough approximation: “I define ‘story’ quite loosely. To me, a story can be as small as a gesture
or as large as a life. But the basic elements of a story can probably be summed up with the
well-worn Who / What / Where / When / Why / How.” Others have tried to articulate the
connection more concretely. Gershon and Page [12] observe that stories communicate
information in a psychologically-efficient format, also a central goal of visualization design.
Using the script of a fictional military scenario as a case study, they examine tactics used to
communicate narrative events, including continuity editing, highlighting (e.g., flashing), and
redundant messaging across media (e.g., audio and video). Still, a deeper understanding of
narrative visualization remains elusive, as “we need to further understand the characteristic
interactions of each genre with each particular audience, its advantages and disadvantages, and
how it might affect content and learning.” Wojtkowski and Wojtkowski [27] further argue that
what makes data visualization different from other types of visual storytelling is the complexity
of the content that needs to be communicated. They conclude that “visual storytelling, in turn,
might be of critical importance in providing intuitive and fast exploration of very large data
resources,” but again stop short of detailing how we might best “tailor visualization systems to
accommodate storytelling.” Some visualization systems have begun to incorporate storytelling
into their design. For example, GeoTime Stories [8] enables analysts to create annotated stories
within visualizations using a text editor and bookmarking interface. The [Link] [15] system
allowed users to create trails of visualization bookmarks that were regularly used for
storytelling. Tableau’s graphical histories [13] lets users review, collate, and export key points
of their visual analysis. More recently, Tableau Public [22] supports the construction and web-
based publication of interactive visualizations, supporting storytelling in data-rich domains
such as finance and sports journalism. Such systems provide the first steps toward making
richer storytelling capabilities accessible. In short, many have observed the storytelling
potential of data visualization and drawn parallels to more traditional media. However, a
thorough understanding of the design space for narrative visualization has yet to emerge. In the
meantime, practitioners such as artists and journalists have been forging paths through this
space, and we might hope to gain insight from their explorations. Here we seek to further our
understanding of narrative visualization by analyzing and contrasting examples of
visualizations with a story-telling component. We then generalize from these examples to
identify salient design dimensions. In the process, we hope to clarify how narrative
visualization differs from other storytelling forms, and how these differences introduce both
opportunities and pitfalls for its narrative potential.
What are the 7 genres of narrative Visualisations?
We describe seven genres of narrative visualization: magazine style, annotated chart, par-
titioned poster, flow chart, comic strip, slide show, and video. These genres can be combined
with interactivity and messaging to produce varying balances of author-driven and reader-
driven experiences.