Data Visualization in Environmental Public Health: From Data to Insight
Using Incomplete, Inaccurate, or Inconsistent Data
What’s Wrong with This Visual? The chart presents the data as complete and comparable, even though the underlying data have gaps and inconsistencies. • Missing November data are displayed as zero, creating a misleading decline. • For this example, let’s say the definition of what counts as a complaint changed during the year, making the values before and after the change difficult to compare. • The visual does not identify missing data or explain changes in how the data were collected or defined. • Viewers might interpret apparent changes as real trends when they actually reflect differences in the data.
How to Make It Better Review the data for completeness and consistency before creating the visualization. Clearly communicate any issues that could affect interpretation. • Show missing values as “Data unavailable” rather than zero. • Use a break or gap in the line where data are missing. • Add an annotation where definitions, collection methods, or reporting practices changed.
• Avoid combining values that are not directly comparable. • Include a brief note explaining important data limitations.
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