A visual analytics framework case study: Understanding Colombia’s national administrative department of statistics datasets

Abstract

In a world filled with data, it is expected for a nation to take decisions informed by data. However, countries need to first collect and publish such data in a way meaningful for both citizens and policy makers. A good thematic classification could be instrumental in helping users to navigate and find the right resources on a rich data repository, such as the one collected by the DANE (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística, i.e. the Colombia’s National Administrative Department of Statistics). The Visual Analytics Framework is a methodology for conducting visual analysis developed by T. Munzner et al.1 that could help with this task. This paper presents a case study applying such framework conducted to help the DANE to better visualize their data repository, and also to understand it better by using another classification extracted from its metadata. It describes the three main analysis tasks identified and the proposed solutions. Usability testing results during the process helped to correct the visualizations and make them adapted to decision-making. Finally, we explained the collection of insights generated from them.