Data Visualization: A Practical Introduction: Kieran Healy [Book Review]
Abstract
This book offers ding effective data graphics using the ggplot package for the R language. Although the implied audience is researchers in the social sciences, there is a lot of practical wisdom here for anyone who works with numerical data. The book treats both the theoretical principles of effective data visualization design as well as concrete guidance on how to integrate such wisdom into a slick data-analysis workflow in the R ecosystem. This practitioner-oriented approach is a very welcome addition to the literature: by covering both the whys and the hows of data visualization, this single volume swiftly equips researchers to build compelling graphics from their numerical data. It is clear that the author is passionate about his topic: you really feel that he is fed up with seeing sloppy data graphics in published academic work. Likewise, his commitment to free researchers from laborious scutwork is evident in the many productivity tips he is eager to provide for the R environment. The book's prose is engaging and chatty, and the style of instruction is unpretentious and practical. The manuscript itself is attractively typeset: one commendable feature is the direct integration of the many graphics alongside the corresponding passage of text, by setting them as sidenotes in the wide margins. This richly graphical approach makes the lessons engaging, tangible, and enjoyable to read.
- Journal
- IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
- Published
- 2020-12-01
- DOI
- 10.1109/tpc.2020.3028227
- CompPile
- Search in CompPile ↗
- Open Access
- OA PDF Bronze
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