What do I mean about easily consumable data visualization? Take for example, a non-anthropological sample from the Cornell Note-taking System from Cornell University's Learning Strategies Center about the Cornell Note-taking System, a useful tool for all undergraduate students seen below (for a clearer copy, click on the link above or below in quick links):
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| Cornell Note-taking System by Cornell University's Learning Strategies Center |
Despite this interesting method, the below revision by Life Hacker (from 2006!) is arguably more accessible:
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| Life Hacker's Version of Cornell's Note-taking System |
The question for today's post is: What kinds of accessible and memorable data visualization have anthropologists created?
There are likely many examples, one of which stuck in my mind was Grant Otsuki's portrayal of the number of dissertations produced by institutions.
According to Otsuki, the size of the circles is proportional to the number of dissertations in cultural anthropology produced by that institution since 1900. If a user his website, they can hold their mouse pointer over the circle to get the full name of the institution, and the number of dissertations produced:
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| Otsuki's Portrayal of the Number of Dissertations produced by Institution |
Otsuki's larger work focuses on the question “What does it mean to be human in contemporary technological societies?” This example of dissertations per university is one example of anthropological visualizations of their data.
But let's put the question to you: What other memorable and accessible visualizations have you seen by anthropologists? Let us know via email (anthrolens@gmail.com) or tweet us @anthrolens.
Quick Links:
- Cornell Note Taking System, Cornell University Learning Strategies Centre
- gjotsuki.net/visualizations.html, Grant Otsuki
- Geek to Live: Take study-worthy lecture notes, Gina Trapani on Life Hacker (Sept 22 2006)
- The Packaging Anthropological Knowledge Part Two, Anthro Everywhere! (July 31 2017)
- The Packaging of Anthropological Knowledge and Its Merits According to Market Research Experts. Anthro Everywhere! (June 29 2017)
