The DJ Way
A mental approach to reporting in which you're always on the lookout for data to help tell a deeper story.
What is the Data State of Mind?
In Python, it is created using a "def" statement.
What is a function?
A type of chart that can show the relationship between 2 variables, typically on an X/Y grid.
What is a scatter plot?
In order to understand the fields and values in a data set, it's important to ask for one of these when making a records request.
What is a data dictionary?
He is credited by some for creating the first data visualization, which helped explain a cholera outbreak in London.
Who is John Snow?
A type of question with a measurable answer.
What is a "Quantifiable Question"?
In Excel, this function is used to remove leading and trailing whitespace.
What is TRIM?
A layer of visualization in which you're mapping data to properties of visual objects such as size, shape, color, etc.
What is visual encoding?
Some states offer this financial break to journalists when they request copies of public records.
What is a fee waiver?
Regarded as the modern day founder of data journalism, he penned a classic tome called Precision Journalism.
Who is Phil Meyer?
The three Dimensions of Data are Identity, Context and this.
What is Provenance or Origin?
In Excel, it is used to group data and perform aggregate calculations on the groups such as sum, average, etc.
What is a Pivot Table?
Headlines, captions, footnotes are examples of this layer of visualization.
What is the annotation layer?
When requesting data, you should use this bit of tech jargon to ensure you get proper, structured data.
What is "machine readable, electronic format"?
A pioneer of investigative journalism who got herself committed to the Women's Lunatic Asylum in New York as part of an undercover effort to expose brutality and neglect at the institution.
Who is Nellie Bly?
A data journalist should record important notes about data and methodology in one of these.
What is a data diary?
This point-and-click tool can clean, standardize and even reconcile data to "canonical" records on Wikibase and other sources of "linked" data.
What is OpenRefine?
A layer of visualization that enables readers to engage with your story and data in a personalized way.
What is the "me" layer?
An organization that provides a website with links and overviews of public records and meetings laws in all 50 states?
What is the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press?
An American muckraker and pioneer of investigative journalism whose reporting helped lead to the breakup of the Standard Oil monopoly.
Who is Ida Tarbell?
The correct ending to the phrase: If your mother said it...
What is "check it out".
A python library used to fetch and download data, HTML pages, or other files from the Internet.
What is requests?
A circular chart type that connects groups to one or more other groups and sizes its "bands", or connections, based on some relevant column in a data set.
What is a chord diagram?
An agency must cite one of these when denying a records request in whole or part.
What is a statutory exemption?
This person is generally credited with crafting the first algorithm meant to run on a "computing machine".
Who is Ada Lovelace?