What types of datasets are most appropriate for DSPL?
The DSPL format supports arbitrary collections of tables, and is thus appropriate for a wide variety of dataset types. Only a subset of DSPL datasets, however, will produce interesting visualizations in the Public Data Explorer. The latter product, in particular, works best for data that are: • Quantitative: Each data point has one or more numeric metrics associated with it (e.g., “population”, “number of flu cases”, “revenue”). • Categorical: Data can be organized into a finite number of text-describable categories (e.g., “countries”, “genders”, “age groups”). • Time series: For each category, the data metrics vary as a function of time, and adjacent points are at least one day apart (the Public Data Explorer cannot visualize time increments smaller than a day). • Aggregated: For each time / category / metric combination, there is a single data point, not a list of events or facts.
