Using storytelling to reach new audiences

for data

Eileen Capponieileen.capponi@oecd.org

ESDS International Conference,3 December 2007

The three services

1. OECD.Stat – Complete databases for specialists who have

the time to fully exploit the data

2. OECD Core Data– Ready-made tables for a wider audience

3. OECD Facts & Figures– Ready-made tables with commentary and

graphics, for a broad audience, interested in a “story”

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1. OECD.Stat

• Interface for specialists that have time to fully exploit data across OECD datasets

• A view on the entire OECD.Stat cube and more• Search across and inside datasets• Accompanied by detailed metadata• Users can navigate to any theme• Build-it-yourself service• Users can save data queries for reuse• Ability to export data in various formats

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OECD.Stat interface

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Branded views

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2. OECD Core data

• Simple interface aimed at specialists and non-specialists audiences

• 500-1000 ready made tables• Frequently requested tables which are quick to

access and easy to understand• Take away service• Easy to reuse in reports or presentations• Uniquely identified and easy to locate• Links to the source database and all statistics

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Examples of core data tables

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3. Facts and Figures: key features

• Ready-made tables with commentary• Aimed at a wide audience, easy to understand• Tells a story about the data• Easy to find, even if you don’t know the jargon• Certified by OECD and reusable• No access control• Data visualisation tools make the story more engaging• Data education tool for non-specialists• Building a space for interaction with the users?

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Facts and Figures: existing material

• OECD Factbook and other webbookshttp://www.sourceoecd.org

• Available online (html + xls +PDF)• Available as a database• Available as a USB key• Available in print (4-colour publication)

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Other Facts & Figures

Graphs with commentary from oOECD Observer – databanko publicationso press releasesoOECD’s web site www.oecd.orgo etc.

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Facts and Figures: challenges ahead

1. Making the data interactive

2. Creating new Facts and Figures

3. Making the Facts and Figures discoverable

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1. Making the data interactive

Many visualisation tools available:The Swivel experiment in 2007• www.swivel.com• www.many-eyes.com

Pilot visualisations for Factbook 2008• New graphing tool using Flex and SDMX• Mapping tools? (example on www.imf.org)

“Gapcasts”• www.youtube.com (search for Hans Rosling, Chile)

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Pilot for Factbook 2008?

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2. Creating new Facts and Figures

• Not so easy to find “a good story” in the data

• Statisticians hesitant to strip away footnotes and technical language.

• Takes time to develop a good story and make the data interactive

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3. Making F&Fs discoverable

• Display them prominently on SourceOECD and on the main website

• Creating publishing metadata

• How to organise the Facts and Figures?

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Thank you!

Questions …

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