Blog Post 4: Information Visualization and Distant Reading

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Information visualization is an important visual way we can begin to interpret the understanding of digital humanities. According to the chapter, the graphics have a “powerful rhetorical force” and a helpful way to uncover what they are trying to show and conceal. Anything that can be given a numerical value can be turned into a visualization. Visualizations can help us to better understand information and to also better understand the data in an organized way. Although visualization can help us to see the data, it isn't always necessarily good. For example on page 88, the chapter explains how the same data shown in different chart forms can take away the original message of the data in the first place, and make it into something it is not. For example a continuous line chart can easily be seen as “rate of change” and a bar chart clearly can be seen as a specific date=number ratio. You have to be careful which visual you are using to make the correct information seen. Distant reading can be a form of statistical processing or data mining that allows processing content to be examined without reading of the actual text. When looking at the project Six Degrees of Francis Bacon, this project definitely stood out as an example of an information visualization. On page 104, figure 6.11 reminded me a lot of the Francis Bacon project because it is being shown in the same format and you can process this information in the same way. Other examples of information visualization that we have explored this semester include Selfie City and “On Broadway”, a project that one of my group members did for her analysis. I enjoy seeing information visually because it helps me to better understand the data in which the creator is attempting to publish, and also why this information is relevant and important. I am looking forward to doing my own distant reading because this is a good way to gather information about a specific data group or reading and can also uncover deeper interpretations on specific texts.  


Comments

  1. Dr. MFebruary 19, 2024 at 1:23 PM

    YES, just like any graph or data visualization, it can skew the data and the overall message. I'm glad you're looking forward to it!

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  2. Pat PasongFebruary 20, 2024 at 10:39 AM

    I have definitely seen multiple examples of information visualization in my everyday life but I did not know the term for it. It was interesting to read about it. It is great that you pointed out how the visualization of the data can alter how its interpreted. I think the Six Degrees of Francis Bacon project is an excellent example of how information visualization is utilized. The way that different nodes are connected to each other. I think the project that I did (Dawnland Voices) could have benefitted from having a working map that showed where the materials were found or where the different cultures are in New England. I am looking forward to using Voyant Tools. I think it will be interesting how words relate to each other in a visual format.

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  3. Dr. MFebruary 21, 2024 at 12:11 PM

    From Victoria: Agreed with our professor that data can be manipulated into appearing skewed, so the correct graph must be used in order to get the information data’s portraying to be accurate

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