We see data displayed in graphs and charts on a regular basis.Because we live in a world dominated by visual information, it isnot surprising that writers, advertisers, and journalists use datavisualisations such as charts, graphs, and other graphics to helpreaders understand complex information more easily. However, it isnot uncommon for published graphs to be designed to beeye-catching, shocking, or fun to look at, rather than informativeand understandable.

You can find a plethora of questionable graphs and charts onKaiser Fung’s Junk Charts blog. Fung is an expert on data analyticsand visualisations, and has authored several books on the topic. Asinspiration for your small group discussion post, search throughthe Junk Charts archives to explore some of the ways datavisualisation can become misleading.

Discuss your evaluation of any published graph or chart you findparticularly interesting, effective, misleading, or difficult tounderstand. In your discussion, focus on answering some of thefollowing questions:

• Does the graph represent the data accurately?
• Does the graph meet best-practice criteria?
• Does the graph speak to the target audience?
• Is the graph in any way misleading, intentionally orunintentionally?

Post the graph or chart you have chosen to share with your smallgroup as a screenshot, image, or as a link to the website fromwhich you found it, along with an evaluation of the graph orchart.