7. “Each weekday, my computer
program goes to the Chicago
Police Department's website and
gathers all crimes reported in
Chicago.”
Adrian Holovaty
Thursday, 21 June 2012
18. “The Tribune’s more than three
dozen interactive databases,
collectively have drawn three
times as many page views as the
site’s stories. [75% of traffic]”
http://bit.ly/dj2dmz
Thursday, 21 June 2012
22. Passive vs active data
journalism
Start with the data and look for the
stories? (MPs’ expenses)
Or start with a lead and look for the data?
Thursday, 21 June 2012
23. Compile:
Reactive
Official sources: ONS, data.gov.uk, etc.
Secondary FOI: disclosure logs, WDTK,
Hansard
Reports and research: Google alerts
Unofficial sources: Scraperwiki,
OpenlyLocal, OpenCorporates,
OpenCharities, etc.
Thursday, 21 June 2012
25. Compile:
Proactive
Communities, mailing lists, groups
Advanced search: Site:gov.uk (etc),
Filetype:pdf (etc)
Tip: database contents are invisible
Scrapers - tools, write or ask
Thursday, 21 June 2012
26. Start with a question
How does policy affect people?
Who is top? Bottom?
Time: what has happened since last
year? 10 years ago?
Space: Trends in fields/regions?
What is the context?
Thursday, 21 June 2012
39. Tools
Google Docs or Excel - spreadsheets,
charts and fusion tables
Google Refine - simple, powerful data
cleaning and mixing
ManyEyes, Tableau - visualisation
freeDive - create a searchable database
for users
Outwit Hub - simple scraping
Scraperwiki - learn programming!
Thursday, 21 June 2012
40. Websites
National statistics and govt department
releases
Local and global open data initiatives
FlowingData, Information is Beautiful
Guardian Datablog, Eagereyes
Junkcharts, WSJ’s Numbers Guy;
BBC’s More Or Less
Thursday, 21 June 2012
41. Books
Bradshaw & Rohumaa - Online
Journalism Handbook
EJC - Data Journalism Handbook
Darrell Huff - How To Lie With Statistics
Blastland & Dilnot - The Tiger That Isn't
Donna Wong - The WSJ Guide to
Information Graphics
Brian Suda - A Practical Guide to
Designing with Data
Thursday, 21 June 2012
42. ...but the most important
thing: PLAY.
Be curious. Start with a question, not a
technical challenge.
Pick up the phone. Ask experts where to
get information, what jargon is used, etc
If the challenge is too complex, do
something more simple
Join communities, listen, and ask for
help.
Thursday, 21 June 2012