J-Term 2021 – Stat041: Topics in Applied Statistics
This is the course website for Stat041: Statistical Graphics and Data Visualization at Swarthmore College. All readings, slides, videos, and labs will be posted here.
Graphical displays of information can improve our understanding of both data and statistical models. Data Visualization has become a key component in decision-making about everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to sports analytics to climate change. While these visualizations can help synthesize complex phenomena into a single graph, we have also been inundated with maps, charts, and diagrams that often present conflicting conclusions. Drawing heavily from contemporary examples including the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 election results, this course will cover common forms of data visualization and their uses and misuses.
In this course, you will learn how to create, critique, and present graphics in a concise and statistically sound way. Topics include: common data types and visualizations in R; incorporating statistical concepts such as transformations, smoothing, and uncertainty into visualizations; interactive graphics; and non-traditional types of data such as time series, maps, networks, or text.
You will leave the course having built a portfolio of static and interactive visualizations, statistical writing, and presentations. This is a project-based course, and you are encouraged to bring additional ideas for datasets and research questions.
| Week 1: The Basics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prep | Lecture | Lab | Project | Milestone | |||
| Mon | Overview + Meet the Toolkit | Read: Truthful Art Ch2 | 01 | 01 | |||
| Tues | The Grammar of Graphics | Read: Data Viz Ch 3 | 02 | 02 | |||
| Wed | Mapmaking | Read: Truthful Art Ch10 | 03 | 03 | |||
| Thur | Customized Design | Watch: Glamour of Graphics | 04 | 04 | |||
| Sun | Project 1 Due | Final Project Milestone: Topic + Data | |||||
| Week 2: Incorporating Models | |||||||
| Mon | Linear Models | Skim: ModernDive 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2 | 05 | 05 | |||
| Tues | Non-linear Models | Read: Truthful Art Ch9 | 06 | 06 | |||
| Wed | Classification | Read: MDSR 10-10.3 | 07 | 07 | |||
| Thur | Time | Read: Truthful Art Ch8 | 08 | 08 | |||
| Sun | Project 2 Due | Final Project Milestone: EDA | |||||
| Week 3: Dynamic Graphics | |||||||
| Tues | Intro to Dynamic Graphics | Watch: The Shadow Peace; Read: Let’s free congress; Explore: Twitter USA App; Explore: Utah’s COVID Dashboard | 09 | 09 | |||
| Wed | Interactivity | Watch: Intro to Shiny | 10 | 10 | |||
| Thur | Animation | Watch: gganimate live cookbook | 11 | 11 | |||
| Fri | Scrollytelling | 12 | No Lab | ||||
| Sun | Project 3 Due | Final Project Milestone: Rough Draft | |||||
| Week 4: Misc Topics | |||||||
| Mon | Text | Read: MDSR Ch 19.1; Skim 19.2 | 13 | 12 | |||
| Tues | Sharing your work | Watch: One R Markdown, Fourteen Demos; Bring: 3 .Rmd files | 14 | No Lab | |||
| Wed | WORK DAY | ||||||
| Thur | Final Project Demos | ||||||
| Sun | Final Project Papers Due |