Hello, and thank you for joining me for this module. Now, take a moment and imagine that you are an investigative journalist or detective. Part of your job is sifting through mountains of data determining which facts are relevant, and then assembling those elements to a clear compelling and accurate account. That's what you'll be doing when creating your data story. In this course, we're going to give you some concepts, tips, and techniques to help you explore data, identify meaningful findings, and then explain them through the power of storytelling. Just as the human brain is wired for visual perception, it is also geared for stories and knowing a little bit about how it works can help you assemble and present your data stories most effectively. So what exactly is a story? It's something that seems obvious until you really start thinking about it. There's a great quote from the master writer Flannery O'Connor who observed that, most people know what a story is until they sit down and write one. So after this module, you will be able to define what a story is and build a basic framework for any story. You will be able to determine the who, what, why, and how of the story, and discover the importance of planning before you start. You'll be able to interview your stakeholders and assess your audience to find the right story in the data. You will be able to pull all this together and follow a process drawn from best practices to present your story. We have a lot to cover in this module, so let's get started.