I think that one of the flaws in data display is the lack of devotion to showing the visual verbal interdependence of the Cognate Strategies. (Kostelnick 326) There is so much data is in this world to display. Everyone should be certain to define the interdependence, or the significance of the data, either by explaining it in words, or make the data display self-explanatory. This table is a "Recapture of Payment Errors to Government Contractors." It includes money paid in error to Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors, Department of Defense Contractors, on through General Services Administration Contractors. The only interdependence shown here is the fact that these are payment errors to government contractors, with cumulative data from 2004-2012. The manner in which the over payments were made is not available. I give the Arrangement/Emphasis an A- as they pertain "to the visual structure and organization." (Kostelnick 14) The table has been designed to display the highest dollar amounts recovered at the top of the table and the others follow in descent. The design is readable, it has clarity, the conciseness is something I cannot determine. It appears impressive, but it covers 9 years of details that I cannot see. That data might be skewed. The tone is serious, and I have to give it a fair score for ethos, because it is United States government website displaying this data. But for ethos, I am left with questions about why they chose to display nine years of data as one number. When clicking on the "view details" tab, it just takes me to a list, without dates and other details. http://www.paymentaccuracy.gov/
Another item that I have analyzed is the chart below. It comes from the same government website, and it displays its information in billions. But I cannot precisely follow this chart, even in color. I am able to make out the larger blocks of color, but not the small ones. The chart has a nice label, it tells me what the data is about. But what is an "improper payment" and was it recovered? Is it part of the dollar amount in the table shown above? Again, this displays nine years of data, but not in detail. Suddenly, I discover what is missing on my copy of the chart, is that it is interactive on the website. When you place your mouse over a block of color, it will display what it represents. This is cool. Upon further searching, I found the data behind this chart. I recommend going to the site and experimenting with their interactive chart. The arrangement is good, the clarity is good, and conciseness is a good as it can be in the small space. The fact that they have the legend below the chart appeals to these cognates. For ethos, it is good, but I am left wondering why it only displays the entitlement programs and not other government spending.
http://www.paymentaccuracy.gov/improper-payment-amounts
I will conclude with a statement from my own experience, working with databases, or spreadsheets, we store numbers data that we need to provide answers for any variety of reasons. The spreadsheets used to be kept on ledger paper; pencils and erasers were used to enter the numbers into the columns. Today we use Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet programs to enter the data. We take for granted the value of these tools. Somewhere behind both the table and the chart is some very hard data, down to minute details. But the audience is not given access to that information. It might take further searching to find that data. From what I have learned in this class this semester, I am not feeling too bad about the data that is shared in these two pieces. I know that I will scrutinize tables and charts in the future for the Six Cognates and their interdependency so that the audience is not left full of questions.
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