Download - Visual Explanations Book Review
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Visual Explanations, by
Edward R. TufteBook Review for IST 631, by Jason W. Dean
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What is this book about?
This book is about the graphical representation of
images, words, and numbers for presenting information.
And we also enter the cognitive paradise of explanation, a
sparkling and exuberant world, intensely relevant to the designof information. (p. [9])
The book is entertaining, and informative but not
exclusively devoted to classification. The individual
involved in classification must keep this in mind.However, the book is quite useful for evaluating
classification schemes in three areas: showing hidden
connections (theme one), contextualizing knowledge
(theme two), and effective description vs. size (theme
three)
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Theme one: Visibility
In chapter three of the text, Tufte discusses
illustrations of magic.
Explanations of magic involve pictorial instructions
demonstrating a sequence of performance, a step-by-stepdescription of conjuring activities. To document and explain a
process, to make verbs visible, is at the heart of information
design.
Making verbs visible is also at the heart of classification.
How?
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Making Verbs Visible
Classification describes connections between objects,
knowledge, or concepts.
It is the structure, and the description thatclassification that makes seemingly ephemeral
connections between things clear and real.
It is the contextualization of these things that helps
to make the connections (both between the objectsclassified and the connections made by the creator of a
scheme) clear, traceable, and very real.
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Theme two: Contextualization
In chapter two, Tufte discusses the impact of the
contextualization of data in a visual display. This
general theme of contextualization is also applicable toclassification.
It is the act of contextualizing knowledge that gives
better meaning to the items classified in a given theme.
This is related to, but separate from the first theme of
making verbs visible.
This theme is illustrated with Dr. John Snows Cholera
Map, and MinardsCarte Figurative
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Dr. Snows Cholera Map. Only when the data were placed on a
map (contextualized) was the source of the cholera outbreak found
the Broad Street Pump
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Minards Carte Figurative. This graphic illustrates the relative size of
Napoleons army to and from Moscow (on the right). This places the size
on a map, as well as in a date sequence. When the data is contextualized,
its meaning and impact becomes apparent.
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Theme 2, Continued
Tufte provides four guidelines for the contextualization
of data, which I have adapted for classifications:
Facet the parts of a classification in an appropriate
context for assessing cause and effect, as well as otherrelationships.
Make connections and comparisons to clarify.
Consider alternate connections and contrast to
illuminate the scheme.
Assess possible errors or differences.
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How does the book apply to
classification?The key here (and for the people we classify for) is that
contextualization provides a means to help our patrons and
users understand the classification schemes we use. The
book simply highlights the best practices for evaluating and
displaying the classifications (and data too) that we use.
I would recommend this for any librarian, or any
information professional as it is highly informative,
accessible, and useful.
Tufte, E. R. (1997). Visual explanations: Images and quantities,
evidence and narrative. Cheshire, Conn: Graphics Press.