Lecture | Tuesday Talks: Science Insights

Tuesday Talks: Science Insights | 3 September 2024

Ionica Smeets

Date: Tuesday 3 September 2024
Time: 15:45 - 17:00
Location: Gorlaeus Building
Einsteinweg 55
2333 CC Leiden
Room: CM.1.26

Leiden Science’s monthly dose of research inspiration from our staff, for our staff and all other curious minds. On Tuesday 3 September, Ionica Smeets, professor Science Communication will give an interesting lecture!

Battling Misleading Graphs

Graphs are commonly used to communicate data about important topics or impactful messages, from scientific articles to mass media, and from patient information to political campaigns. Graphs should be designed to help readers interpret the underlying data correctly. However, as we all know, this is not always the case. Politicians may use truncated y-axes to exaggerate differences between themselves and their opponents, or companies might use 3D effects to make their success look greater. Surprisingly, there is little research on the effects of misleading graphs, and much research design advice is based on intuition rather than empirical data.

Smeets studies how to battle misleading graphs in long-term collaborations between her Department of Science Communication and Society and researchers in the Faculties of Humanities and Social and Behavioural Sciences. In this talk, Smeets will discuss randomized experiments on optimal graph design, how to most effectively debunk misleading bar charts, and how to avoid confusion in graphs showing inferential uncertainty. You will also be invited to report misleading graphs to the Graph Police.

Join this edition of Tuesday Talks: Science Insights!

Everyone who is interested in this edition's topic is welcome. Please let us know if you are attending.

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Programme

The programme of the Tuesday Talks: Science Insights is:

15.30 hrs	Take a seat
16.00 hrs	Introduction by dean Jasper Knoester
16.10 hrs	Lecture by Ionica Smeets, followed by Q&A
17.00 hrs	Drinks

About Tuesday Talks: Science Insights

Tuesday Talks: Science Insights is Leiden Science’s monthly dose of research inspiration from our staff, for our staff and all others curious minds. Every second Tuesday of the month from 16:00 hrs till 17:00 hrs, drinks and meet up afterwards till 18.00 hrs.