Putting Everyday Data to Use

We generally think of data as the results of (usually scientific) research, but the truth is that data surrounds us and permeates our lives. By collecting, analyzing, and visualizing this everyday data, we can see patterns that may otherwise elude us.

This workshop will begin with a creative exercise to capture and visualize a “data snapshot,” followed by a discussion of the discoveries prompted by this type of noticing. We’ll then talk about how data visualization can be used to explore and find patterns in more formal data, and do a brief exploratory project using library survey comments.