Esther Roughsedge Improving the communication of statistics at National Records of Scotland RSS Campion Awards

We should maximise their impact by: Why do this? We have lots of information and data We should maximise their impact by: reaching a wider audience promoting our messages So why is it important to bring your data to life? We have a lot of knowledge and insight, but this is no use if it remains in our heads, and no-one else uses it. If we can make our information quick and easy to understand, people are more likely to read it and remember it, and therefore to use it. This means we can increase the impact of our work, which is really important. It really is worth putting time and effort into communicating your results, if this means your work has greater impact.

https://www. nrscotland. gov https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/stats-at-a-glance/infographics-and-visualisations

Interactive data visualisations Allow users to explore large datasets Example: population projections Dundee City Angus We produce interactive visualisations to allow users to explore large datasets themselves. We use Shiny which is an R package. https://scotland.shinyapps.io/sub-national-population-projections/

Twitter @NatRecordsScot

Other ways we are trying to reach a wider audience Blogs Quizzes Videos

What have we done since?

Council area profiles Bringing together an overview of all our statistics, for each council area https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/stats-at-a-glance/council-area-profiles

How is Scotland’s population changing? What are the implications? Presentations How is Scotland’s population changing? What are the implications?

Bringing your data to life Workshops Bringing your data to life using graphs, infographics, interactive visualisations and social media

Our standards Consider our audience Use clear, simple graphics Use visuals to tell the story, not just for decoration Use colour consistently to highlight key points, and always consider accessibility Develop consistent styles using templates

Example of impact ‘I have begun to look at stats in a different way... well, actually to look at them and be interested! So that's brilliant! ‘We now realise that all of our momentum, all the stories, is only half the picture if we don't utilise the stats to prove positive change... thank you for being part of this journey.’

How to find out more www.nrscotland.gov.uk StatisticsCustomerServices@nrscotland.gov.uk @NatRecordsScot