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Communicative Information Visualizations: How to make data more understandable by the general public
Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2784-3011
AccessType
Open Access Dissertation
Document Type
dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Degree Program
Computer Science
Year Degree Awarded
2022
Month Degree Awarded
September
First Advisor
Narges Mahyar
Subject Categories
Other Computer Sciences
Abstract
Although data visualizations have been around for centuries and are encountered frequently by the general public, existing evidence suggests that a significant portion of people have difficulty understanding and interpreting them. It might not seem like a big problem when a reader misreads a weather map and finds themselves without an umbrella in a rainstorm, but for those who lack the means, experience, or ability to make sense of data, misreading a data visualization concerning public health and safety could be a matter of life and death. However, figuring out how to make visualizations truly usable for a diverse audience remains difficult. In my thesis, I examined three areas where altering current practices may help make data visualizations more understandable and impactful in the future.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/30844079
Recommended Citation
Burns, Alyxander, "Communicative Information Visualizations: How to make data more understandable by the general public" (2022). Doctoral Dissertations. 2600.
https://doi.org/10.7275/30844079
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/2600
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.