4 replies to this topic

[mitahito]

Welcome to CartoTalk forum! Lack of ideas how to visualize data in a less common way forced me posting here. OK, to the case.
Data to be visualized: live births (1989-2003) and number of pupils in grade 1 (1996-2010) in Estonia by county (15 counties together). It's not mandatory to visualize every year, it can be given e.g. every fifth year or a change (%) during periods of time (but not just change between first and last year). Aim is to show that change in births almost proportionally affects number of pupils in grade 1 after 7 years and to show percentage how many of children who have born in corresponding year start school after 7 years in particular county (it can also be over 100% due to migration).
Any ideas which give results easy to perceive appreciated except using time axis (like placing charts inside polygons) or map series showing data during different years or periods of time. Result must be printed on A4 page.

[Hans van der Maarel]

I'd say charts inside polygons. It's a bit tricky since your time axis are shifted by 7 years, so you have to make sure that's obvious to your map reader.

[mitahito]

If I could do this as I like I would also choose time axis but in this case as I mentioned this is not a valid choice because the task is to look for different approaches and I'm stuck...

[frax]

I think you have to kill some darlings and think hard about what you actually want to communicate. I would consider, for one thing, to not present this in a chart...

If you want to focus on trends (changes over time) and differences between counties, I would consider presenting this in a chart, with time on the x-axis and pre-calculated ratio of kids born 7 years prior that enter school a certain year. And one line for each county.

How is this going to be used, and by whom?

[T.Nijeholt]

Some ideas: Maybe the best solution is not just to vizualize the attribute itself (with two different maps), but to vizualize the change only (that means: one map). Of course, you can dot both, three maps. It depends of your goal and youre audience. If you choose for three maps, they can see the absolute numbers (in the first two maps), as well as the change (positive=green, negative=red, I shoul say). You can compute relative change (%) or absolute schange (in numbers). That will result in two VERY different changemaps!! Maybe it is a goog idea to make both maps (change relative AND change positive), and publish them side by side. I guess, this would give new, inside information! Goog luck!