Scientific Data Visualization: Tables and Graphs That Work

Course description

Effective communication of scientific data is one of the most important skills of a scientist. Stated bluntly, if the intended audience does not get the message in the data (and acts on it), the research effort is wasted. Data visualization in tables and graphs is essential to effective communication, because it can convey complex relationships in a way unmatched by simple text. However, data visualization is not really a big thing in the education of scientists, nor is it stimulated by the parties responsible for the dissemination of research results, i.e. journals and scientific societies.

This half-day course intends to put the student on the right track to obtain the necessary skills. It consists of 4-6 hours of pre-course preparatory homework, followed by 4 hours of group work and interactive lectures. Students prepare by familiarizing themselves with the necessary software; they also submit a table, graph (or both) from prior work. During the course they receive personalized feedback, and set to improve their product using Microsoft Word (tables) and GraphPad Prism, and the course book written by your lecturer:
“Data Visualization for Biomedical Scientists: Creating Tables and Graphs That Work”
(VU University Press, 2022).

Programme

Preparatory work (at home, 4-6 hours)

  • read the introductory texts in the book (see below);
  • view an introductory lecture online;
  • download and do homework tasks for a basic understanding of tables in Word, and graphs in Prism;
  • submit a graph, or a graph and a table from prior work

Workshop (on location, afternoon, 4 hours)

  • with book, follow along exercises on table and graph;
  • in pairs, work on your own graph (and optionally table) based on personalized feedback received, give peer feedback;
  • plenary discussion with examples from student work.

Lecturer

Maarten Boers, MD, PhD, MSc
Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, rheumatologist

Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam UMC

 

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, the student is able to:

1.        Understand and apply the concepts of clear vision and clear understanding in data visualization.

2.        Make a reasoned choice for the best type of visualization for a specific dataset/analysis.

3.        Apply advanced table formatting in Microsoft Word.

4.        Design basic graphs in Prism.

5.        Peer review tables and graphs.

Target group and pre-requisites

Target group

The course is intended for junior and senior scientists aiming to improve their visualization skills.

Prerequisites

Participants are expected to have

1.        Some experience in reading and preferably writing of scientific manuscripts.

2.        Basic mathematical skills (entry level of higher learning).

3.        Basic computer skills (Microsoft Office).

4.        Helpful: some knowledge of epidemiological and statistical methods (not mandatory).

5.        Willingness to discuss their submitted work in the group.

 

Upcoming dates and how to register will be posted here when available.