Description: Publishing on Tableau Public is the process of sharing a data visualization openly and accessibly on the Tableau Public platform. This tool allows users to create interactive graphs and dashboards from datasets, facilitating the exploration and visual analysis of information. When published on Tableau Public, visualizations are stored in the cloud and can be shared via links or embedded in websites and blogs. This not only promotes transparency in data handling but also fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing among analysts, researchers, and the general public. Tableau Public is especially popular among educators, data journalists, and professionals who want to showcase their data visualization skills. The platform offers an intuitive interface that allows users to drag and drop elements to create visually appealing visualizations without the need for advanced programming knowledge. Additionally, being a free tool, it democratizes access to data visualization, enabling anyone, regardless of their experience level, to effectively and visually share their findings.
History: Tableau Public was launched in 2010 as an extension of Tableau Software, a company founded in 2003 by Christian Chabot, Pat Hanrahan, and Chris Stolte. The idea behind Tableau Public was to provide a free platform that allowed users to share data visualizations online, promoting transparency and access to information. Since its launch, Tableau Public has evolved, incorporating new features and usability improvements, leading to significant growth in its user base and the data visualization community.
Uses: Tableau Public is primarily used for creating and publishing interactive data visualizations that can be shared publicly. It is commonly employed by educators to illustrate complex concepts, by data journalists to present visual stories, and by analysts who want to showcase their visualization skills. Additionally, it is a valuable tool for academic research and data dissemination in various fields such as health, economics, and the environment.
Examples: An example of using Tableau Public is the project ‘The Data Journalism Handbook’, where interactive visualizations are used to explain data journalism concepts. Another case is the ‘COVID-19 Data Tracker’, which presents data about the pandemic in a visually accessible manner for the general public. These visualizations allow users to intuitively explore the data and better understand the information presented.
