Data Visualization Software for non-experts Victoria Meldrum, Ball State CBER AUBER 2016

Objectives We want… Visual data – recognize & understand data trends Choice of tables, graphs, charts, maps Basic control over appearance Automation or batch controls for large data sets Also want… Responsive design (desktop, tablet, phone) Interactive – movement? User customization?

Concerns Centers have limited resources Some software too basic – limited controls, painstaking in bulk Some software too advanced – require programming knowledge Technology constantly changing Let’s take a look at some practical options…

Visualize Free (Inetsoft) http://visualizefree.com Free Upload spreadsheet, drag & drop to choose chart type & appearance Maps (county-level?) Projects appear in public gallery Maybe outdated? Office in USA

Chartblocks www.chartblocks.com Monthly subscription: Free, $8, $20, $65 Import spreadsheet or database Chart-building wizard, customize appearance Download, share, or embed on website Offices in USA & UK

Plotly http://plot.ly Charts & graphs, 3D, dashboards Free option: All projects are public. Upload spreadsheet, select template appearance, download as PNG or JPG Monthly $59-$119-$165: Public or private, more upload data types, world/US map, custom appearance, vector export options API libraries, d3.js Offices in US & Canada

Datawrapper http://datawrapper.de 1 user: €29/mo; team: €129/mo; or free trial Export as PNG (free) or as website code (subscription) Upload data & select desired template for chart or map Control fonts & colors Responsive to web & mobile Interactive (rollovers) Used by Fortune, Vox, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Le Monde, etc Office in Cologne, Germany

Tech-savvy options Talk to your computer science department about options… Maybe a computer science class project – initial set up Or computer sci graduate assistantship – ongoing maintenance

Axiis www.axiis.org Free, open source, MIT license Download software, API library, Google Code member “For beginner and expert developers alike” Requires some coding skills Variety of charts, no maps Appearance controls Interactive (rollovers, zoom) Office in USA

R Project www.r-project.org EXPERT LEVEL: Talk to your math & computer departments Free, open source Charts, maps, appearance controls “Integrated suite of software facilities for data manipulation, calculation, & graphical display” Compatible with S language and C & C++ code, syntax similar to LaTeX Multiple conferences in US and abroad

Google Charts https://developers.google.co m/chart/ Free, open source Used for many sites within the Ball State CBER Data Center Need basic coding skills, API 3 yrs backward compatibility 25+ kinds of charts Also maps (SVG or VML format to use GeoChart)

Highcharts (Highsoft) www.highsoft.com Highcharts, Highmaps, Highcharts Cloud Cloud monthly: $15, $30, enterprise, or free (logo on graphics) Upload spreadsheet, select template, customize, share/embed Charts (incl. gauge dials), maps (incl. county level)

Tableau www.tableau.com Tableau Public: Free, link spreadsheet, create charts & maps, share or embed graphic, graphic is interactive & updated live Tableau Personal: $999 per user, save to your computer or network instead of a public profile Tableau Professional: $1,999 per user, save to Tableau Server (lots of connectivity) Tableau Institutional License: Talk to other departments within the university to see if you have or can share a subscription

This presentation will be available on the AUBER website vrmeldrum@bsu This presentation will be available on the AUBER website vrmeldrum@bsu.edu Victoria Meldrum, Ball State CBER AUBER 2016