The Graph Objective is the defining rule of the Graph Workflow.
Enforcing clarity in the Graph Objective from the outset helps determine the specific data requirements, focuses data management and reduces complexity in design.
The Graph Objective is specified by addressing three key questions:
- Question 1: what is the statistical context of the question?
- Question 2: what are the properties of data?
- Question 3: who is the intended audience?
As an example, consider the analysis on the Taiji Cove drive hunt. As I explain in that analysis, the graph objective is to document the “Evolution of kills and captures” during 2001-2018.
The use of the word “Evolution” alludes immediately to a temporal statistical context (Question 1). The time frequency is annual, and the target variables are the number of kills and number of captures, which are measured on a quantitative interval-ratio scale (Question 2). The intended audience is widespread distribution so the graph must be constructed using a form that is easy understood even for young audiences and for those with not prior experience in statistics or data graphing (Question 3).
To learn more about how to specify the graph objective follow the links on Question1: statistical context, Question 2: data properties, and Question3: intended audience.
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