A visual exploration on mapping complex networks. 22 free tools for data visualization and analysis. You may not think you've got much in common with an investigative journalist or an academic medical researcher. But if you're trying to extract useful information from an ever-increasing inflow of data, you'll likely find visualization useful -- whether it's to show patterns or trends with graphics instead of mountains of text, or to try to explain complex issues to a nontechnical audience.
There are many tools around to help turn data into graphics, but they can carry hefty price tags. The cost can make sense for professionals whose primary job is to find meaning in mountains of information, but you might not be able to justify such an expense if you or your users only need a graphics application from time to time, or if your budget for new tools is somewhat limited. If one of the higher-priced options is out of your reach, there are a surprising number of highly robust tools for data visualization and analysis that are available at no charge.
Data cleaning DataWrangler. 8 more free tools for data visualization and analysis. Posting a roundup of useful data visualization tools invariably means leaving out more than you can include. JavaScript libraries alone number considerably more than the 22 free tools for data visualization and analysis I reviewed last week. I knew I'd hear from Computerworld readers -- in comments, by email and via social media -- and I expected you'd have some great additions to my initial list.
You didn't disappoint. Here are some of the more interesting recommendations, culled from reader responses, social media and posts around the Web. Disclaimer: I haven't tried any of these hands-on (yet). MicroStrategy Reporting Suite One reader asked why MicroStrategy's free reporting tool didn't make the cut. Reporting Suite is free for up to 100 users and offers tables, graphs, and the ability to query data and generate statistical metrics.
D3.js I just came across this JavaScript library today (thanks to @keikei on Twitter). Make a Map Data Science Toolkit Visualization Toolkit VisIT. The Best Data Visualization Projects of 2011. I almost didn't make a best-of list this year, but as I clicked through the year's post, it was hard not to. If last year (and maybe the year before) was the year of the gigantic graphic, this was the year of big data. Or maybe we've gotten better at filtering to the good stuff. (Fancy that.) In any case, data graphics continue to thrive and designers are putting more thought into what the data are about, and that's a very good thing. So here are my favorites from 2011, ordered by preference. The order could easily scramble depending when you ask me. 1. While creator Mike Bostock made the initial commit to GitHub in late 2010, D3 hit its stride in 2011. 2. Who knew carrying around a stick that detects WiFi vertically could be so informative?
3. Media artist Roger Luke DuBois used online dating data to show the uniqueness of cities in America. 4. 5. The OECD has a lot of data about countries, and it can be hard to make all of data accessible at once. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Visual Understanding Environment. 6 Excellent Visualization Websites. Designers, artists, visualization junkies listen up! I know that sometimes it can be difficult to find inspiration, which is why I want to help you out. About a week ago, I was checking out the Visualy blog when I came across a super cool post by Visually’s Visualization Architect, Drew Skau. In his post, Drew outlines six totally cool sites to help satisfy your recommended daily dose of data visualizations.
So without further ado here’s Drew’s data visualization hit list: I Love Charts – Admittedly the most lighthearted recourse on the list, I Love Charts features several new visualizations each day. Daily Infographic – Another daily visualization site is Daily Infographic. So there you have it. Image Source: www.iStockphoto.com Related. La boite à outils.