Plantae Seminar - Data visualization

The text advertising the seminar, for which these slides were used:Plant biology is undergoing a revolution due to the enormous amounts of data that are being produced by high-throughput sequencing, non-destructive plant phenotyping platforms, and other new tools and technologies. Visualizing big data is not an easy task but it helps with data interpretation, generation of new hypotheses and properly presenting your results in a scientific publication. In this seminar I will introduce the basic concepts of data visualization – the grammar of graphics – and address when different display options (bar / box / dot plots) are appropriate. I will also discuss some guidelines regarding effective figure design and how to strike a balance between storytelling and appropriate data representation, as well as how to extend the appeal of your data to the wider community by integrating it into an interactive app. Some of the tools presented in this webinar are discussed in a new Plant Physiologypaper, “MVApp - Multivariate analysis application for streamlined data analysis and curation”.Following this seminar, participants will be able toUnderstand the basic concepts of the grammar of graphics using ggplot in RIdentify the optimal data visualization methods for addressing specific questionsKnow the difference between exploratory and illustrative data visualizationPerform basic forms of data visualizationDesign effective figures