Data Storytelling: Writing Effective Reports that Interpret Data
Presenter(s): Jeffrey Simmons, Mount St. Mary's University
Increasingly, IR professionals are expected to go beyond the basic data report filled with tables and use their expertise and experience to interpret the data. As the quantity of readily available data increases, senior leaders are depending more heavily on their researchers to help them understand data and use the information more effectively. Data storytelling is one approach to creating effective interpretive reports that are tailored to a specific audience. The objectives of this speaker session are to (1) enable the participants to use the concise, four-part storytelling framework and (2) develop their data interpretation skills. The storytelling approach results in a rich, compelling, and focused message that readers will find relevant and useful. The four key steps are to know your audience, identify the story’s dilemma, establish the setting, and focus on the moral of the story. At the end of the session, participants will have the tools to write an effective interpretive report.