Visualizing Racial Disparities: Making Data More Accessible
By Faustino McCalla St Luce, Marketing Assistant, Library, Sage
Effectively conveying the reality of social inequalities can be challenging. Data visualization, however, serves as a powerful instrument to facilitate this crucial task.
Well-designed visualizations make patterns more tangible, reveal systemic issues, and facilitate informed discussions. Yet, effectively presenting these insights – particularly to non-specialist audiences – demands that attention be paid to the design, clarity, and accessibility of data.
Sage’s Data Visualization multimedia collection offers expert guidance on techniques, tools, and best practices to support researchers in leveraging the power of data viz in their research. From tutorials on effective presentation to case studies on racial equity, it helps researchers form data into compelling narratives.
Explore the following three resources from the collection, available free for Sage Research Methods Community readers:
Expert insight from Andy Kirk – Visualization Insights from Chimdi Nwosu’s “Incarcerated in America” and “Press Freedom Index”– this resource explores how visualization techniques can reveal disparities in incarceration rates and press freedom, offering critical perspectives on how data can shape public awareness.
Tutorial by John Schwabish – Racial Equity Awareness in Data Visualization – a practical guide on designing visualizations that centre racial equity, ensuring that data representations are both accurate and ethically responsible.
Case Study by Kevin Credit – Exploring Racial Disparities in Policing and Associated Public Health Impacts Using Bivariate Maps – a case study demonstrating how mapping techniques can be used to analyze the intersection of race, policing, and public health outcomes.
Additionally, for those aiming to make data visualization more accessible to wider audiences, Alan Rutter’s tutorial on Presenting Data to Non-Specialist Audiences provides essential strategies for simplifying complex information without losing depth or meaning.
If you find these resources valuable, consider recommending Sage’s Data Visualization collections to your institution’s librarian using this form.