Communicating with Data

Understanding Data

What is Data? Introduction to the concept of data — its definition, history, types, and relationship to knowledge. Covers the DIKW pyramid, big data, and the difference between raw and processed data. Datafication Explores datafication — the transformation of social actions into quantifiable data — and its cultural implications including dataism, dataveillance, and the relationship between data and everyday culture. Data Literacy Examines data literacy at multiple levels — from basic reading and writing of data to critical understanding of how data pervades everyday life. Contrasts formal organisational data literacy with everyday and critical data literacies. Critical Data Studies Introduces Critical Data Studies (CDS) — a framework for interrogating the power embedded in data systems. Covers data as power, data feminism, data colonialism, and data justice. Data as a Concept A deeper conceptual examination of data — exploring how data is defined computationally, why data is never objective, the relationship between data and 'fact', and the socio-technical nature of data.

Data Visualization and Communication

Data Audiences Examines how audiences inform the design and production of data visualisations. Covers sociocultural context, types of audiences, semiotics, and how data visualisation conventions create an 'aura of objectivity'. Introduction to Data Visualisation Introduces data visualisation — how data becomes an image, visual grammars, symbolic meaning of charts, and data storytelling. Covers the 'Ways of Seeing Data' framework and how narrative structure applies to visualisation. Critical Data Visualisation Applies critical and feminist frameworks to data visualisation. Covers the five principles of feminist data visualisation and explores how bodies are incorporated or erased in data representations. Introduction to Infographics Traces the history of infographics from early data journalism to contemporary interactive visualisations. Introduces four conceptual frameworks for understanding infographics and key standards of design.