Our task this week involved three distinct steps: Downloading and processing raw data, choosing variables that are suitable for comparison and visualization, and creating a map layout to display multiple maps, charts, and text. The data came from www.countyhealthrankings.org and included information on a host of variables broken down by state and county. We first chose two variables we thoughts may be correlated (negatively or positively); I chose obesity and unemployement with the hypothesis that there would be a positive correlation. In order to incorporate this raw data into ArcMap, we created new Excel worksheets containing only the data needed. These worksheets were then used to create charts visualizing our chosen variables. They were also joined to two separate United States maps in ArcMap and symbolized as choropleth maps.
The most difficult part of this assignment, however, was the final task of creating a layout to contain the various maps and charts. I chose to keep the layout as simple as possible with a white background and no neatlines or borders. This allows the viewer's gaze to flow easily from one element to the next. I settled on a tabloid-sized page in landscape orientation in order to stack the two maps on the left and to make room for the charts on the right.
Based on my end product, there does not appear to be a correlation between obesity and unemployment. If a correlation is present, it is relatively minor.
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