Misleading Infographics 244-250

Match the following

• manipulate

• to change the natural, normal, or original shape, appearance, or sound of something, sometimes in a way that is not pleasant or attractive

• critical thinking

• to tamper with or adjust to one’s own advantage

• trend

• analysis and evaluation of facts and evidence to form a judgment without bias

• data

• the information that computers work with, like pictures, numbers, words, or sounds

• distort

• a general course, direction, or tendency

Why might a visualization be misleading on purpose?

• Because the creator didn't understand the data

• Because the creator made a mistake

• To support the creator's point of view

• To summarize points accurately

Why might a visualization with too much data be misleading?

• Too much data is usually inaccurate.

• It doesn't give you the full picture.

• It can hide data the creator doesn't want you to notice.

• It can highlight trends in the data.

Why might data be distorted or summarized incorrectly on purpose?

• To support the creator’s point of view

• To impress the reader

• To confuse the reader

• Just for fun

What should you make sure all beliefs are based on?

• Any infographic you’ve seen

• Anything that’s been published on the web

• Solid information

• Anything that’s in print

Why might it be misleading if only part of the data story is in a chart or infographic?

• You might be misled if you read the whole thing.

• Partial information is better because it doesn’t overwhelm you.

• Partial information can be misleading because it doesn’t give you the full picture.

• You might be misled if you don’t agree with the data story.

When thinking critically about charts, graphs, and infographics, what’s one of the most important questions to ask yourself?

• Are the conclusions logical?

• What other colors could have been used to create this?

• Who is the best person to share this information with?

• When is lunch?

Why might too much data in a visualization be a bad thing?

• It might take too long to create it.

• It might become boring quickly.

• It might hide some information if it's too confusing or hard to read all of it.

• It might end up being homework.