Reyes J.M.M. Data Visualization for Social and Policy Research: A Step-by-Step Approach Using R and Python

Cambridge University Press, 2022. — 292 p. — ISBN: 978-1-108-78787-1.All social and policy researchers need to synthesize data into a visual representation. Producing good visualizations combines creativity and technique. This book teaches the techniques and basics to produce a variety of visualizations, allowing readers to communicate data and analyses creatively and effectively. Visuals for tables, time series, maps, text, and networks are carefully explained and organized, showing how to choose the right plot for the type of data being analyzed and displayed. Examples are drawn from public policy, public safety, education, political tweets, and public health. The presentation proceeds step by step, starting from the basics, in the programming languages R and Python so that readers learn the coding skills while simultaneously becoming familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of each visualization. No prior knowledge of either Python or R is required. Code for all the visualizations is available from the book's website.- Includes multiple visualization techniques for all different data types and data structures, including time series, maps, and text visualization
- Step by step explanations in both R and Python, with a comparison of the two languages
- Examples are drawn from across the social sciences, including, public policy, education, and health