tell me a story: conveying relevant information in a meaningful way
TRANSCRIPT
Research Narratives 3.0:Tools, Tips, and Takes
Evonne YoungAssociate Director, Web Development and ProductionKaiser Family FoundationPresented at AcademyHealth’s 2015 Annual Research Meeting
June 15, 2015
Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues…
We serve as a non-partisan source of facts, analysis and journalism.
The Kaiser Family Foundation: Who We Are
We’re known for our analysis…
Photo: OpenCongress.gov (https://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/1183-What-s-1-000-Pages-Got-to-Do-With-It-)
But how do you explain a complex
law that’s over 1,000 pages long?
Sure, you can write a technical report, display data in a table, or diagram the information…
[yawn](Those numbers and dense, jargony paragraphs
are so warm and fuzzy, don’t you think?)
“Basic facts and information are as powerful in our world as our seminal reports.”
-Drew Altman
Calculators
Or you could share a story…
InfographicsAnimated Videos
Charticles/Listicles Flowcharts Photos & Quotes
"Information becomes meaningful when you have an experience."
-Manu Praka, biophysicist
GOAL: Provide relevant information in a meaningful way.
Examples
June 15, 2015
Policy and Decision Makers, Journalists
• Know more than a casual user.
• Need info quickly for research, presentation, or news story.
Who Is Our Audience? What Do They Want to Know?
Analysts• Better and deeper
understanding of information and data than Policy Folks and Journalists.
• Willing to sift, explore.
Casual Users• Basic number literacy.
Understand trends and key numbers.
• Consumer-focused questions.
1. What data or information do you have?
2. What do you want to show? What does your audience want to know? (They are not necessarily the same thing.)
3. Translate: What type of narrative or media best conveys the point you are trying to make and for your audience to understand?
4. What resources do you have?
5. Define success for your organization. ( Page views? Media Mentions? Shares? Embeds? Tweets?)
Source: Modified from Nathan Yau, Data Points: Visualization That Means Something
5 Questions To Ask When Creating a Story
Health Reform Explained (Animation)http://kff.org/health-reform/video/health-insurance-explained-youtoons/
A light-hearted treatment of health reform, this animation explains, in plain language, how individuals pay for coverage and obtain medical care and prescription drugs when enrolled in various types of health insurance, including HMOs and PPOs.
Audience: All audiences + Spanish speakers.
Need filled? Provides a variety of audiences with basic health literacy lessons that enable them to understand how their health insurance works.
Faces of Medicaid (Video Interviews)http://kff.org/medicaid/video/faces-of-medicaid/
Highlights the range of experience and diverse roles that Medicaid plays in the lives of Americans across the U.S. These stories of individuals on Medicaid go beyond statistics and provide insight into the range of personal experiences with the program.
Audience: All audiences
Need filled? Uses emotional connection and story to explain the impact of having or not having Medicaid can have on a person and her family.
Subsidy Calculatorhttp://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/
Illustrates health insurance premiums and subsidies for people purchasing insurance on their own in new health insurance exchanges (or “Marketplaces”) created by the ACA.
Audience: All audiences + Spanish speakers.
Need filled? Answers the questions, “Am I eligible for subsidies? How much will health insurance cost?”
Data Viz Method: Calculator. Familiar UI lets users enter different income levels, ages, and family sizes to get an estimate of their eligibility for subsidies and how much they could spend on health insurance.
Employer Responsibility Under the ACA (Flowchart)http://kff.org/infographic/employer-responsibility-under-the-affordable-care-act/
Audience: Employers, Employees, Policy and Decision Makers, Journalists.
Need filled? Answers the question, “What are the penalties for employers if they choose not to offer coverage under the ACA.
Source: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1911333
Visualizing Health Policyhttp://kff.org/tag/jama/
A monthly infographic series produced in partnership with the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Audience: Policy and Decision Makers, Journalists, Medical Community.
Need filled? Delivers visual pop + key information to a medical journal audience, easy to scan.
Social Media Graphics
People are more likely to click on Twitter and Facebooks posts that feature images.
Audience: All Audiences
Need Filled? Visually interesting, quick facts for our audience.
Data Viz Method: Chart or key facts created by graphic designer or in Powerpoint.
Additional Storytelling Examples on KFF.org
Charticle or Listiclehttp://kff.org/infographic/ebola-characteristics-and-comparisons-to-other-infectious-diseases/
Written ProfilesThe ACA and People with HIV: Profiles from the Field
MapsState-by-State Effects of a Ruling for the Challengers in King v. Burwellhttp://kff.org/interactive/king-v-burwell-effects/
Storify6 Thoughts About Proposed 2016 ACA Premium Increaseshttps://storify.com/KFF/6-thoughts-on-proposed-2016-premium-increases-in-a
QuizHealth Insurance Quizhttp://kff.org/quiz/health-insurance-quiz/
Liquid Courage (Nature Conservancy) | Relatedhttp://water.nature.org/liquidcourage/
The Next America (Pew Research) http://www.pewresearch.org/next-america/
How Americans Die (Bloomberg Visual)http://www.bloomberg.com/dataview/2014-04-17/how-americans-die.html
Scientists vs. The Public on a Variety of Scientific Issues (Pew Internet)https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152553642281356&set=vb.124336306355&type=2&theater
How King v. Burwell Could Affect You (Kaiser Health News)http://khn.org/news/khn-video-supreme-courts-decision-in-king-v-burwell-could-affect-your-pocketbook/
16 Charts That Explain 2016 (Politico)http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/10/16-charts-that-explain-2016-112307.html#.VXnaavlVhBc
Other Examples
