Data visualization is a powerful tool for telling stories with data. However, not all stories are true. This talk will demonstrate, using real examples, of how to conceal, deceive, and outright lie with data through omissions, visual design, and other techniques. While I don't recommend these practices, knowing how they work and how to use them will provide new ways to think about your data visualization, make you a more sophisticated consumer of data, and help you realize when you're accidentally lying.

1. How to Lie With Data
SUDS Workshop, December 6th, 2016
David Newbury (@workergnome)
How to Lie with Data: David Newbury (@workergnome) 1

2. Who am I?
—Programmer
—Animator
—Data Visualizer
—Teacher
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3. This is not an ethics class.
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4. Two goals for today:
• Learn to Persuade.
• Become Suspicious.
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5. If you want to
lie...
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6. ...there's an
easy way.
Falsify Data.
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7. We can be more
subtle than that.
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8. Department of
Veterans Affairs
Take this data.
Looks about the same?
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9. Department of
Veterans Affairs
Let's compare them directly.
Not very dramatic, is it?
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10. Department of
Veterans Affairs
We can do better than that...
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11. Department of
Veterans Affairs
Or, we could be
really, really
sneaky effective.
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12. What is a graph?
A visual summary of information
for human interpretation.
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13. Graphs are
visual.
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14. Graphs summarize.
288,987 census blocks, 9.562 million people. 1 picture.
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15. Graphs contain
Information.
• Data - facts or statements
• Information - relationships
• Knowledge - usefulness
• Wisdom - real meaning
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16. Graphs are
for humans.
That big white triangle
does not exist.
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17. Graphs are
Interpreted.
Graphs are confusing, but...
People trust you.
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18. How to Lie with Statistics (1954)
[A misleading graph] is vastly more effective,
however, because it contains no adjectives or
adverbs to spoil the illusion of objectivity, there's
nothing anyone can pin on you.
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19. Graphs
appear true.
2000 children each year
suffer spinal injuries.
That's 0.0000003% of children.
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20. Words are
powerful.
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21. Misleading Titles
This is actually showing
college attendance.
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22. Too Blatant?
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23. Loaded Labels
How "substantial" is the drop?
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24. Leading Captions
Is the decrease
permanent or temporary?
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25. Images are
more powerful.
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26. Pictographs
Length vs. Count
Humans compare length...
before counting objects.
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27. Pictographs
Length vs. Area
Making something 3x larger...
makes it appear 9x bigger.
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28. Perspective
3D looks like the future...
but it distorts ratios.
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29. Maps and Area
We assign importance to size...
even if the size is irrelevant.
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30. A momentary
pause.
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31. Choosy
Choosers
Choose
Carefully.
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32. Anchoring Comparisons
What will you compare
your selection to?
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33. Exes vs. Wyes
Comparing two things...
implies they are related.
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34. Axis as Allies
One line is total cost...
The other earnings per year.
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35. Pick your Points
Change is really dramatic...
if you pick the points.
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36. Insufficient Resolution
Even if you don't cheat...
You can hide by sampling.
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37. Choosing
your sample.
The beginning and the end...
Are what people will notice.
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38. Watching
out for axis
manipulation.
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39. Starting from Zero
Things begin at zero...
so you can see change.
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40. Choosing a Zero
Choosing what counts as zero
can be just as important.
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41. Stretching the Truth
Same data...
But one appears more volatile.
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42. Math
is hard.How to Lie with Data: David Newbury (@workergnome) 42

43. Relative Sizes
1 + 1
equals: 2 4!
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44. Giving Less than 100%
13 + 13 + 19 + 14
equals: 59 100%!
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45. Everything Always Up.
Adding things to each other...
Always makes them larger.
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46. There are
others ways
to cheat.
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47. Breaking Norms
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48. Hiding Expert Information
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49. Conclusions
Go Here.
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50. Your job is to direct attention.
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51. Good visualizations have a point.
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52. There's a fine line between
storytelling and lying.
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53. My favorite example
3 versions of the same chart...
totally different stories.
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54. How To Not Lie:
1). The visuals should match the numbers.
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55. How To Not Lie:
2). Labels should be honest and accurate.
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56. How To Not Lie:
3). Full context should be provided.
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57. How To Not Lie:
4). Expert information should be conveyed.
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58. Thank you.
Source: http://xkcd.com/688/
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