Homework 1: Exploratory Data Analysis

Due date: Thursday April 10th at 11:59pm

Unless otherwise stated, assignments are to be done individually. You are welcome to work with others to master the principles and approaches used to solve the homework problems, but the work you turn in should be your own.

Plot Presentation

Find an informative plot on a topic you find interesting.

  • The plot must be 2D.
  • The plot must fit on a standard laptop screen at a reasonable resolution. You should not need to zoom in to see any part of the plot.
  • The plot must be non-interactive. In other words, you should be able to print the plot on a piece of paper without losing any information.

Next, record a 1-2 minute screencast describing your chosen plot.

  • In your screencast, you must explain the necessary background required to understand the plot, along with the key takeaway(s) of the plot.
  • While the plot can have labels, its caption should be removed. Your voice should fully describe the takeaways of the plot.
  • Your name and face should not be in the screencast. The plot should take up the entire screen. = You should use your mouse pointer in the screencast to indicate particular points of interest on the plot. Alternatively, you can verbally direct the viewer to the points of interests (e.g., “In the top right corner, you can see that…).
  • You are welcome to read off a script, but try not to make it too obvious. You should use an engaging tone that sounds as though you are presenting to a live audience.
  • Remember the three key guiding questions you should address before digging into the details of your plot: (1) What’s on the X axis? (2) What’s on the Y axis? (3) What does a specific point/line/feature on your plot mean in context?

Here are some resources you might find helpful as a starting point:

  • r/dataisbeautiful on Reddit
  • The “What’s Going on in This Graph?” New York Times column
  • The New York Times Graphics Desk
  • Information is Beautiful

Submission:

  • Upload your screencast to Google Drive.
  • Fill out this Google form with a link to your screencast.
  • Additionally, put the link to your screencast in your Gradescope submission in the indicated place (see below).

Notebook

Complete the homework 1 notebook. Please make a copy of the notebook to your google drive before starting!!

Submission:

  • Follow the instructions in the notebook to submit a PDF of your notebook to Gradescope.