PRC Data Visualization & Communication 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A researcher is selecting a color palette for a choropleth map showing income levels. Which palette type is most appropriate?
- Qualitative palette
- Sequential palette (Correct answer)
- Diverging palette
- Rainbow palette
Correct answer: Sequential palette
Sequential palettes use graduated shades of one hue to represent ordered, continuous data like income levels.
Question 2: Which storytelling framework is most commonly used to structure research findings for executive audiences?
- SCR (Situation-Complication-Resolution) (Correct answer)
- ANOVA narrative structure
- Chronological lab report format
- Null hypothesis first presentation
Correct answer: SCR (Situation-Complication-Resolution)
The SCR (Situation-Complication-Resolution) framework, popularized by McKinsey, efficiently frames research insights for decision-makers.
Question 3: What is the main purpose of an annotation layer in a data visualization?
- To add visual decoration and branding
- To highlight specific data points or explain key findings in context (Correct answer)
- To replace the chart title
- To encode an additional data variable
Correct answer: To highlight specific data points or explain key findings in context
Annotations draw the viewer's attention to specific insights and provide contextual explanation directly within the chart.
Question 4: A heat map is most effectively used to display which type of data?
- A single continuous variable over time
- The magnitude of values across two categorical dimensions (Correct answer)
- Proportional composition of a total
- Distribution of a single variable
Correct answer: The magnitude of values across two categorical dimensions
Heat maps encode a quantitative variable as color intensity at the intersection of two categorical axes.
Question 5: When preparing data visualizations for a mixed audience (technical and non-technical), the executive summary chart should prioritize:
- Maximum data density to show rigor
- A clear main message with simplified labeling (Correct answer)
- Raw statistical output including residuals
- Footnotes explaining methodology
Correct answer: A clear main message with simplified labeling
Executive-level charts should lead with one clear takeaway and minimize technical detail, reserving depth for appendices.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'chartjunk' as defined by Tufte?
- Data errors introduced during chart rendering
- Visual elements that add complexity without adding information (Correct answer)
- Charts that misrepresent statistical results
- Excessive use of interactive filters
Correct answer: Visual elements that add complexity without adding information
Chartjunk refers to decorative or redundant visual elements—like 3D effects and excessive gridlines—that clutter a chart without conveying data.
Question 7: A researcher is visualizing survey Likert-scale responses. Which chart type most accurately preserves the distribution shape?
- Pie chart
- Diverging stacked bar chart (Correct answer)
- Line chart
- Bubble chart
Correct answer: Diverging stacked bar chart
Diverging stacked bar charts center on the neutral response, making it easy to compare positive and negative sentiments across items.
PRC Data Visualization & Communication 3
A researcher is selecting a color palette for a choropleth map showing income levels.
Which palette type is most appropriate?