1. Graphical Presentation of Data in Reports Dr Peter Kappen Acting Principal Scientist – XAS

2. Overview Pictures and storytelling The Council – Examples of Story & Audience The Council – Examples of Relevance & Form Embedding in the text Australian Synchrotron

3. A picture is worth a thousand words

4. Pictures tell stories pictures in corporate communication = graphs, charts, diagrams, photos/images graphical communication = speaking to the audience; storytelling Here: Focus on what we can do with MS Office products = content first, form later

5. Story & Audience or WHY am I telling this story

6. Story & Audience – Tailoring to suit Scenario: The Council organises an annual iExercise at the local sports ground to promote community health. This years event was a big success; >450 people attended. Report to show the geographical spread of attendees. The Council comprises 5 wards (North, East, South, West, Centre). Each ward is divided into a few neighbourhoods.

7. Story & Audience – Tailoring to suit iExercise – Attendees by Neighbourhood Here: Audience / story = local (residents, Council).

8. Story & Audience – Tailoring to suit iExercise – Attendees by Ward Here: Audience / story = global (organisers, Council, State Govt.)

9. Tailoring to the audience Key questions to keep asking: 1.Why am I reporting this? 2.What is the story? 3.Who is the audience? Caveat: There is a difference between displaying data to tell a fact and displaying data to manipulate or twist a message.

10. Relevance & Form

11. The Council – Report on the rate of customer service requests resolved This story: Improving performance.

12. Relevance & Form The Council – Report on the rate of customer service requests resolved This story: Consistently high number of requests received.

13. Relevance & Form The Council – Report on the rate of customer service requests resolved This story: KPI tracking and improvement + Consistently high number of requests received. 88%94%97%96%

14. Relevance & Form What is wrong with this plot? 88%94%97%96%

15. Relevance & Form What is wrong with this plot? 88%94%97%96% Style versus relevance: What does the extra style element add ?

16. Relevance & Form Form: Anatomy of a plot. axis labels scaling to relevance concise legend

17. Tailoring the form Fit the form to the story 1.Why am I reporting this? 2.What is the story? 3.Who is the audience? and 4.What style elements are required ( story)? 5.What visual effects are required ( story; audience)? Caveat: There is a difference between displaying data to tell a fact and displaying data to manipulate or twist a message.

18. Embedding in the text Best practices (in science): Figures are numbered consecutively and each has a caption Figure 9: Number of service requests received and resolved since 2010. The percentage values show the fraction of requests resolved; target value (KPI) is 95%. See text for further information. 88%94%97%96%

19. Embedding in the text Best practices (in science): Explicit reference in the text Figure supports the argument and saves words Figure 9 highlights Councils strong improvement in responding to customer service requests since 2010. The target (KPI) of 95% resolution rate has been met since 2012. The data also shows a continuously high community usage of Council services. […]

20. Example: Australian Synchrotron Australian Synchrotron: located in Melbournes SE (City of Monash) National research facility Interdisciplinary across many fields of research Relevant to industry Mission Benefit to the community photo: Australian Synchrotron

21. National Research Organisation Researchers by Geography

22. Community Connection – FY2012/13

23. bad Cr Contaminated site: Hazardous chromium OK Cr mix of bad Cr + OK Cr use synchrotron to: identify mix ratio identify Cr species (compounds) in mix develop remediation strategy photo courtesy of: ERM Melbourne

24. Conclusion The Big Why Three key questions (content): –Why am I reporting this? –What is the story? –Who is my audience? Style to match the story (Content first, form later) Embedding in text: Captions and numbers are good practice

25. LGPro and Conference Organisers Australian Synchrotron User Office Thanks!