Finding Data and Graphing with Fusion Tables

FIND DATA

1. Go the World Bank’s new data bank site (http://databank.worldbank.org/data/home.aspx)
2. Click on Databases on the left hand menu
3. Find the database World Development Indicators
4. Now you must select the countries
5. From the tree menu on the left, open the List menu and select Countries (be sure that you have not selected any aggregates like “Arab World”)
6. Select All. They should appear on the Current Selection pane on the right.
7. Now choose the Series
   1. Find the following variables and add them to your selection:
      1. GDP per capita, PPP (constant 2011 international $)
      2. Internet users (per 100 people)
   2. Now choose the Time
      1. Select 2012
   3. Click Table (top right)
   4. Click Table Options (top right, grey cog wheel)
      1. From the Orientation options, select the fourth option and apply changes
   5. Download the data as an excel file

CLEAN DATA

10. Open the file and check to see that it makes sense, explore it a bit.
11. The data needs a quick cleaning
    1. Copy and paste the data into a new spreadsheet (just in case you mess up the data in some way)
    2. Save as a new file
    3. Freeze the top row
    4. Delete the Time, TimeCode and CountryCode columns
    5. Give the columns more manageable names
    6. Format cells to have no decimals.

IMPORT DATA INTO FUSION TABLES

12. Open Fusion Tables
    1. Create Table
    2. Choose file, next
    3. Make sure columns are numbers: Edits, Change Columns, Type = Number, Save
    4. + sign, Add Table
    5. choose first scatterplot option

Next: Visualizing Data with Many Eyes