Lab One

For my first lab, I produced a map that displays the 2009 Gross Domestic Products (GDP) for each state in the United States. I used a green color ramp because we associate green with money. In hindsight, I should have used GDP per capita instead of total GDP because one, standardized data is more appropriate for a choropleth map, and two, it would have made for a more interesting visualization. The map I made above is easily explained by citing population figures.

Dynamic Map Example

The map that I found, allows the user to view the different outbreaks of various vaccine-preventable diseases. These outbreaks come in the wake of the 1998 study that erroneously linked the various vaccines to an increased likelihood that the vaccinated individual would develop autism. Here is the link to the interactive map's website.

I find this map interesting because of the various parameters one can set to view the data. These parameters of include disease, region, and time. An example of this would be to look at a measles outbreaks in a region such a Europe. One then can make the observation that while France has a higher total number of outbreaks, the United Kingdom's outbreaks have been more spread out over time. However as the article points out, the data points don't tell the entire story as in Africa, the issue is access to vaccinations in general, not that people are voluntarily declining to be vaccinated. But all very interesting to visualize the data in this way nonetheless.

Here is the link to the NPR article.

GGS 411

All posts from this point on, this one included are part of the GGS 411 course.