Memorandum critical thinking sample

Introductory overview

Within this memorandum is the brief critique of a visual. The graphs are within the Washington Post website. That is the main objective of the memorandum. In this particular critique, the visual selected is a group of five charts. These charts are used to indicate the rates at which there have been efforts to reduce poverty in the United States of America. Ideally, in the United States of America, there existed an analytic text of the existence of the other America. This indicates the fraction that is composed of the poor Americans. It is within the 50th century that there existed a fair amount of useful implication of poverty reduction efforts. This visual skill of using graphs was used at a conference held at Demos. It was intended to answer the question of what happened to the poverty since the previous America.
The title of the graphs is stated as Poverty in the 50 years since ‘ The other America ‘ In five charts is a favorable title. This is because there is a direct implication towards the meaning and the intended objective towards using the graphs. It gives a focus towards a promising reader (Pearson 2010). The collection of graphs used in the poverty in the 50 years since ‘ the other America ‘ In five charts include use of figures to represent the year as well as percentages for the rates of changes in poverty percentage. The information displayed by charts creates a situation where the graphs can deliver the intended information.
Each of the graphs is given a definite title. Each of the headings gives a directive towards the readers intended section of study (Pearson 2010). That is, they give a short description of what to expect. Ideally, use of headings leads to creating scenario that attracts the reader’s attention. It also enables the use of visuals to be effective.

Effectiveness

There exist several defaults accrued to the use of these charts. Initially, there is the use of different comparative graphs to show the trends of poverty reduction in the United States of America. For example, under the graph which is entitled the poverty rate went down and stayed down, there is a conclusion that is indicated after analysis of the first years within the 1960s range. There is a visual expression that shows the implicated impressive rate of change of poverty. That is, there is evidenced rate of decline in the level of poverty. Ten years after 1964, there is a decline of poverty from 19% to 11. 2%. However, it is difficult to approve the rates indicated since only the thing we can identify is the steepness of the line graph. Actual values indicated are not sure.

Design

There is a clear visual impression found within the graphs. There are very few variables that are used in the graphs. These variables enable the readers to easily analyze the data. This means that the important data is displayed. The design used is responsible for the level and the effectiveness of the communication by the graphs (Pearson 2010). For the graphs containing line graphs, there is the evidence of colored lines representing different variables. In that case, the design used to draw the line graphs is impressive and is easy to analyze.

Recommendation for Improvement

The use of line graphs is one of the most used methods of providing visual implication of data. However, owing to the fact that making perfect analysis using the line graphs is not fully trusted, the use of other method is preferable. That is, use of bar methods is recommended. This would lead to creation of a better chance to analyze the data.

References

Good Charts. (n. d.). Retrieved from http://lilt. ilstu. edu/gmklass/pos138/datadisplay/sections/goodcharts. htm
Poverty in the 50 years since ‘ The Other America,’ in five charts. (n. d.). Retrieved from http://www. washingtonpost. com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/07/11/poverty-in-the-50-years-since-the-other-america-in-five-charts/
Mascarenhas, A., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, United States, & United States (2006). Time-varying Reeb Graphs: A Topological Framework Supporting the Analysis of Continuous Time-varying Data. Washington, D. C: United States. Dept. of Energy.
Pearson, R. W. (2010). Statistical persuasion: How to collect, analyze, and present data– accurately, honestly, and persuasively. Los Angeles: Sage.