Tableau

Tableau is a data visualization suite. It allows you to explore a quantitative data set using multiple visualization options in order to identify patterns and illustrate the story within. At AEA, we've used Tableau to gain a better understanding of membership and conference data and to look at trends and changes over time. A key function of tableau is that it allows you to create visualization that may be explored by your stakeholders so that they may perform their own analyses. Here are four examples, each created by a novice Tableau user:

• Journal Subscription Type: Interactive Stacked Bar Chart
• Conference Attendance and Membership: Comparative Interactive Bar Charts
• AEA Communities Growth: Comparative Line Chart from 0 Point
• Conference Attendance by State Across Years: Heatmap

Tableau is available in two primary versions. Tableau public is free, but you must be able to share your data set as the visualizations are stored publicly online and the data is downloadable from within the visualization. Tableau desktop is approximately $1000 with considerable discounts for students and faculty. You can learn more about Tableau at http://www.tableausoftware.com/, and do check out their great online training demonstrations here http://www.tableausoftware.com/learn/training.