MY580 Data Visualization for Social Research: Principles and Practice for Effective Storytelling
Date:
23/11/2026
Organised by:
London School of Economics and Political Science
Presenter:
Dr Michael Ganslmeier
Level:
Intermediate (some prior knowledge)
Contact:
Well-designed graphics are among the most powerful tools social scientists have for exploring data and communicating findings, yet visualization is rarely taught systematically. This hands-on session introduces the principles and practice of effective data visualization using R/ggplot.
We begin with the foundations: how visual perception works, which visual encodings suit which data types, and why so many published graphics fail. We then build visualizations step by step using the grammar of graphics. Topics include exploratory visualization, aggregation and uncertainty, and turning exploratory graphics into clear visual arguments for papers and presentations.
Participants leave with reusable RMarkdown notebooks and a principled workflow for producing publication-quality, reproducible graphics. Basic familiarity with R is helpful but not required; all materials are provided.
Session Details
Time: 10.00 - 15.00 (12.00 - 13.00 Lunch break)
Date: 23 November 2026.
Mode: Hybrid: In-person at CON.1.01 and online via Zoom.
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Cost:
Free
Website and registration:
Region:
Greater London
Keywords:
Data Collection, Data Quality and Data Management , Computational image processing and analysis, Data Visualisation
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