Encounters with Data: Thinking Critically about Context and Presentation in Statistics and Visualizations

Abstract

Bring your laptop or tablet! This hands-on panel will start by outlining rules of thumb for examining the context of data and statistics, and for presenting your data in simple and effective ways. Using these rules of thumb, we will encourage participants to put their critical thinking skills into practice analyzing statistics and data visualizations. Participants will then have a chance to create their own data visualizations. In general, libraries have a growing role in helping users interpret and work with the data in their lives. This panel will guide participants in learning how to navigate data on their own and help their patrons with their data needs.