"Let the Data Speak for Itself" Is Bad Advice

Grad students are told to "let the data speak for itself" and then wonder why their committee's eyes glaze over. The problem is that data cannot speak for itself, you have to speak for the data.

When you write a dissertation, you are really writing a persuasive story about why your data matters. Stories are vital in persuading people to see your point of view, and have been for millenia. Unfortunately, most data training focuses on running analyses and skips storytelling entirely.

Most researchers presenting findings believe they must fight against the "inevitable" boredom of reading such a long text. Boredom is not inevitable. It is a consequence of how the findings are presented. Dry, disconnected results are far less interesting or memorable than a story built around them.

The story doesn't need to be complex to work, either.

Say your data shows that survey respondents in rural areas reported lower access to mental health services. That's what the data "says" on its own. To speak for it, you must make a story: a farmer drives 90 minutes each way for a 50-minute mental health appointment, so he stops going. Then you tell the reader what happens to his health. 

The data tells your committee what happened. The story tells them why it matters.

A story without data is an anecdote. Data without a story is a spreadsheet. Together, they persuade the reader that your research is breaking new ground. 

This is what separates a dissertation defense that drags from one that lands. Your committee has read hundreds of results sections from hundreds of applicants. They have not heard nearly as many data-driven stories. When you frame your findings as a story, you give them something to remember, repeat, and defend on your behalf.

Before your next chapter, ask yourself two questions. What happened in my data? And who does it happen to? Answer both, and you’re speaking for your data instead of leaving it to fend for itself.

Data in Plain English helps you analyze your data so you can put it in your own story. If you're staring at results and wondering how to make anyone care, that's exactly what we do.