A Tumblr That Exists

boufbowlhero:

how to make a reliable chart

1. make the chart easy to comprehend. if a graph isn’t easy to understand within the first five seconds of viewing it, more than likely the data is unreliable or being skewed
2. do not withhold information. if some information is not shown, make a visible note of it.
3. order your data logically. chronological is the most reliable and logical method, but there are exceptions.
4. make sure the type of graph you choose matches the type of data. for instance, this graph is rating over time. most rate change data should be in a line graph, though again there are exceptions. quantity data is often arranged in a bar graph, and percent data is often arranged in a pie graph. a good set of data to make into a bar graph would be amount of rainfall in different areas at the same time.
5. make the intent of the chart obvious. this is most efficiently done with a title. all graphs must have clear titles and labels.
6. (optional) be a widely renowned reliable source (gallup is the world’s leading public opinion driven news source)

now let’s look at an unreliable graph:

the data in this chart is being skewed for an argument for global warming/climate change. it is a confusing graph for a number of reasons:

1. the title is one-sided and doesn’t explain very well what the data is proving. it is worded to make you focus only on the data of this year.
2. the data is arranged by value, despite the fact that it’s is based on temperature over time (a rate). this misleading arrangement implies that there has been a steady build of temperature rather than what is really happening (no discernible pattern).
3. same thing with the type of graph used. what is being depicted is a rate, rather than a quantity.
4. there is no given temperature scale, so it is possible for the outstanding bar to be exaggerated. there is also no scale for the time over which the data is recorded; the years given are incredibly random and were most likely chosen to help prove the point rather than do the data justice.
5. the years and temperatures that were omitted were never mentioned. this is probably to deter viewers from thinking about them.
6. spring in 2012 isn’t even over yet, so the data isn’t complete

here is my recreation of the bad chart using only the data that is given.

it’s clear that this chart makes absolutely no sense, despite the fact that it’s literally the exact same data. as you can see, the previous rendition was misleading for many reasons, one of which is bias for global warming. there are no cool springs to compare the data to. is 57 degree F hot for a spring? how much warmer is it actually? should i be concerned? what happened during the 30 year gap between 1946 and 1977?

i didn’t bother researching that, and neither will anyone else who reads this chart.

this chart creates more questions than it answers, which is painfully counterproductive.

my point is, watch out for suspicious graphs. the information can be misleading, and can imply certain ideas that just don’t exist.

the warmest springs ever chart was created and used in an article from The Atlantic Wire, which can be read HERE

the michelle obama popularity chart chart from gallup can be found HERE

ariannemartell:

this whole dante reads homestuck while hussie watches avatar thing is giving me life

imtastingthestars:

Inspired by Looking for Alaska, by John Green

regndoft:

The Middle Ages was a very exciting time in Europe.