Meaningful Graphs: Converting Data into Informative Excel Charts - Softcover

Smith, James M

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0986054909 ISBN 13: 9780986054907

Publisher: James M. Smith, 2014

Synopsis

Meaningful Graphs is a concise and practical go-to guide for creating charts in Excel ® that clearly and accurately tell the story in your data. It incorporates (a) the graph design principles of the experts (applicable regardless of the software package used), (b) the software steps necessary to incorporate these principles into Excel ® 2010 charts, and (c) chart-related discussions of quality improvement (including Pareto charts), statistics (including run charts and correlations), and the use of graphs in PowerPoint ® presentations (including chart animation). Examples are taken from healthcare but the principles of graph design and Excel® techniques apply to all areas.  Over 120 graphs are presented in full color, many with tables of data to facilitate practice.

Reading this book you'll learn:

• how to select the correct chart type for your data and how to format it to tell your story more effectively
• the nature of "chartjunk" and why the design of some charts requires mental gymnastics to interpret
• why looks can be deceiving (3-D charts)
• the appropriate use of color in charts
• why truncating the value axis of several types of charts is a fatal flaw
• how to determine whether a statistically significant change has occurred merely by calculating the mean or median and plotting the data
• the type of chart that one chart design expert refers to as a mortal sin
• why chart design experts disparage the use of pie charts and what they recommend in their place
• which of the six less frequently used chart types (area, stock, surface, doughnut, bubble, and radar) may have some value in healthcare applications
• how letting the data talk in their own terms often leads to problem solutions

If you follow the advice in this book, the graphs you create for reports, presentations, posters, or publications will be more informative and more readily understood.               "Finally!!  A book that I can recommend to students so they can appreciate the science and art of Meaningful Graphs.  Dr. Smith skillfully combines the principles of good graph design and the techniques of Excel and does so in a way that is brilliantly illustrated and easy to follow.  I will ensure our bookstore has multiple copies on hand." James Regan, Ph.D., Director, Graduate Psychology Program, Marist College

About this title

About the Author

James M. Smith, Ph.D. has over 35 years experience with data analysis and presentation.  He served as a Director for Quality Assurance in facilities operated by the NYS Office of Mental Health and then as Quality Management Officer for Veterans Health Administration facilities in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area.  He is a frequent speaker at healthcare facilities, colleges, and conferences on how to analyze and present data more effectively.
Of Meaningful Graphs, Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, MSHA, FACP, FACMI, former Under Secretary of Health, US Department of Veterans Affairs writes:               "Dr. Smith's book, Meaningful Graphs, is a terrific resource for clinical, quality, and other healthcare professionals who have responsibility for presenting data as a component of their professional activities....Now his expertise is available to all of us in this terrific reference guide, written in a conversational tone, for novice as well as more experienced Excel user.  Meaningful Graphs is like having a wise colleague at your side helping you to create effective graphs."  

Review

"Meaningful Graphs provides a quick, handy reference on how to, and how not to, present data....I highly recommend this book for use in colleges and universities as the introduction to chart/graph creation, for educators, instructors, researchers, management staff, or any individual whose work requires manipulation or sharing of data....When it comes to the utilization of and presentation of data in health care, I find Meaningful Graphs an excellent resource."  Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, Book Review, January/February 2015

In Summary, the Meaningful Graphs text is an excellent resource for both those new to data presentation as well as experienced professionals in need of a reference guide....One of the major advantages of the text is the manner in which it provides practical applications of Excel charts to specific healthcare examples.... [It] is the ideal companion guide for any analyst or quality manager working in Microsoft Excel and I recommend purchasing.  California Association for Healthcare Quality Journal, Book Review, First Quarter 2015

"Meaningful Graphs is an important and valuable book for all who are leading a Lean or continuous improvement transformation in hospitals, or any industry...I highly recommend this book for its insight as well as its practical tips for using Excel, a tool we all have, to help you create meaningful graphs as part of your meaningful work."  Mark Graban, Author of Lean Hospitals and co-author of Healthcare Kaizen

There are so many good things in this book that it would be impractical to list them all.  Suffice it to say that if you want to create charts and have Excel phobia or if you've got the data but you are failing to get your point across, this book is written for you."  Mike Davidge, Director, NHS Elect, part of the National Health Service, London, England

"As a lifelong health educator, this book is one of the best educational tools I have ever encountered.  It is an outstanding aide to people (especially health care professionals) interested in using Excel graphs in reports and presentations.  The text and graphs are very clearly presented, the Tips and How To sections are extremely useful, and the myriad health care examples effectively complete the task of tying theory to practice."  Jules M. Ranz, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Director, Public Psychiatry Fellowship, NYS Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University Medical Center

Edition details

• Publisher: James M. Smith
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0986054909
• ISBN 13: 9780986054907
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 228