Visualizing data is central to scientific and social scientific research, and is increasingly prominent in science communication and journalism. This course provides an introduction to the history, principles, and techniques of data visualization and information design, with an emphasis on data used by social scientists, information scientists, and policy analysts. Students will learn how to create effective visualizations for a variety of different audiences and purposes, including making sense of new datasets and communicating evidence to others.
I assume that students in this class will have a minimal background in research methods (i.e. one undergraduate research methods class), but little to no programming experience. While some programming experience is advantageous, you will acquire the necessary skills in this course. This course will be especially useful to students working on empirical research projects (e.g. senior honours theses).
most recent syllabus available from the Department of Knowledge Integration upon request