Data visualization can be simple as graphs & charts or as complex as a dynamic diagram with interactive features.

When data are transformed into a graphic form, it becomes the visual representation of the data. There are both numerical and textual data that can be processed to create visualization. This guide provides an overview of resources and three related topics briefly: information visualization, infographics, and storytelling that are commonly discussed with data visualization.

For mapping or to view existing data visualization built by different organizations, the following library guides are a good place to start:

Data visualization is a broad topic that draws from various disciplines such as: human perception, cognitive science, graphic design, statistics, computer science, communication, and business analytics. Therefore, each resource will represent their discipline's principle and practice toward data visualization. The UNT Libraries collection has a variety of ebooks to allow beginners to explore this topic. For technical tools and tutorials, see the tools and tutorials page for further suggestions.

Spence's (2014) book on Information Visualization emphasized the term "visualization" as a human activity and can be enhanced immensely through computational support. While information visualization is often presented with data analytics, Fayyad et al. (2002) further clarified that visualization of information does not include scientific visualization or spatial data. A dedicated journal for researchers and practitioners of information visualization to exchange work in theories, methodologies, techniques, applications and evaluation can be accessed through the UNT Libraries catalog.