Part 2. The FLOAT Method
The FLOAT Method
The FLOAT Method is a five-step process that facilitates your ability to outline your project by conceiving of a research question, explaining how you locate, organizing your data, and analyzing a given data source, and finally, transforming your findings into a visualization.
F – Formulate (a good research question)
L – Locate (a sustainable data source)
O – Organize (your data source)
A – Analyze (your data source)
T – Tell (a data-driven story)
The FLOAT method offers a systematic way for you to conceive of and execute a data-driven project. The FLOAT process involves cycling through the activities, all of which can take drastically different amounts of time, effort, and focus. Even the steps themselves can differ greatly across projects. In the upcoming chapters, we will go into depth with each step, but first we will talk about the process overall.
The FLOAT Method is a five-step process that facilitates your ability to outline your project by (1) conceiving of a research question, (2) explaining how you locate, (3) organize, and (4) analyze a given data source, and finally, (5) transforming your findings into a visualization.
