UNIV 140: Social Science Methods: Data Visualization and Text Analysis

Data visualization is the graphical representation of information and data. By using elements like charts, graphs and maps, data visualization tools provide an accessible way to see and understand trends, patterns and outliers in data. Additionally, it provides an excellent way to present data to non-technical audience (definition from Tableau).

Today we will visualize data using Datawrapper. Datawrapper  is a free online tool for creating interactive visualizations. No coding or design skills required! You can sign up using your Google account.

Data was downloaded from the University of Santa Barbara's American Presidency Project.

Text analysis is a method of research used to explore, add context to, and analyze text data sources. We will do some text analysis using the tool Voyant:

"Voyant Tools is a web-based text reading and analysis environment. It's designed to make it easy for you to work with your own text or collection of texts in a variety of formats, including plain text, HTML, XML, PDF, RTF, and MS Word." (Voyant Tools Help)

The file to download is a ZIP file containing four text files. You will need to extract/unzip the folder before accessing the files (Windows ZIP file instructions / Mac ZIP file instructions).

The text of these speeches is from the University of Virginia Miller Center's Presidendial Speeches website.

A broad overview of events taking place in and around FDR's election years:

1929 - Oct - Stock market crashes, beginning of the Great Depression

1932 - Nov - FDR wins the election against incumbent Herbert Hoover

1933 - Mar - FDR’s 1st term begins

1935 - Apr - Works Progress Administration is established

1936 - Nov - FDR wins the election against Alfred Landon

1937 - Jan - FDR's 2nd term begins

1939 - Sept - Germany invades Poland, officially starting WWII

1940 - Nov - FDR wins the election against Wendell L. Willkie

1941 - Jan - FDR's 3rd term begins

1941 - Dec - Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, US enters WWII

1944 - June - D-Day (Allied invasion on Normandy)

1944 - Nov - FDR wins the election against Thomas E. Dewey

1945 - Jan - FDR's 4th term begins

1945 - Apr - FDR dies

1945 - May - Victory in Europe (VE) day

1945 - Aug - Atomic bombs dropped on Japan

1945 - Sept - Japan surrenders, marking the end of WWII

1951 - Feb - 22nd amendment passed, limiting presidents to two terms

Sources:

The American Presidency Project: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Event Timeline
Historic Newspapers: From Boom to Bust, Timeline of the Great Depression, 1930s>br> U.S. Department of Defense: Significant Events of World War II
National Constitution Center: Two-Term Limit on Presidency