# ¶ Data Visualization

Data visualization is the graphical representation of data, which researchers use to identify patterns, trends, outliers, etc., and for creating visual evidence to support a scholarly claim. The range of [visualization chart types ](https://app.gitbook.com/@bcds/s/handbook/digital-scholarship-overview/data-visualization/basic-charts)vary considerably, e.g., scatterplot, bar chart, and line graph. The kind you will see in the examples here are timeline, maptree, and network. GIS, a form of data visualization that uses geospatial data, will be discussed in the mapping section. (To learn more about data and data visualization, see [Introduction to Data](https://bcds.gitbook.io/handbook/digital-scholarship-methods/data).)