Carolina Connection Newsletter
To view previous issues of our chapter newsletter, select one of the links below. (Newsletters are in PDF or SWF formats)
2008: February, April, October, December
2007: March, April, May, September
2006: February, March, April, May, September, November, December
2005: February, March, April, May, September, October, November, December
2004: October, November, December
Webinar Materials
Occasionally, our chapter will sponsor webinars, or online seminars, that cover a relevant area of technical communication. Descriptions of recent webinars and supplemental materials are included below.
How to Avoid Common Graphical Mistakes that Technical Communicators Make
Naomi Robbins, November, 2008
This webinar used examples of real graphs to illustrate common mistakes that many professionals from all fields and positions make when using graphs to display data. The presentation included a discussion about human perception and how we decode information from graphs, which helps explain why some graphs work and others don’t. The presenter also described a number of common mistakes, including problems with scales, tick marks, and labels; difficulties with making the data stand out; and issues involved with grouping several charts. Additional information in the presentation included tips for creating better tables and descriptions of useful, little-known, graph forms that communicate data more clearly than the more commonly used forms.
Presenter Naomi Robbins is a consultant and seminar leader who specializes in the graphical display of data. She trains employees of corporations and organizations on effective data presentation. She also reviews documents and presentations for clients, suggesting improvements or alternative presentations as appropriate. She is the author of Creating More Effective Graphs , published by John Wiley (2005). Dr. Robbins is a past officer of the Statistical Graphics Section of the American Statistical Association.
Download a PDF file of the presentation – How to Avoid Common Graphical Mistakes
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