The Data Journalism Handbook gathers practitioner perspectives on working with data — from finding and cleaning it to analysis and responsible storytelling. Published by the European Journalism Centre and Amsterdam University Press, it is a practical companion for anyone turning election-related datasets into evidence.
Why it's useful
- Practical approaches to messy, real-world data.
- Ethics and reproducibility guidance.
- Useful context for working with election results, campaign finance, and ad-transparency data.
How to use it
Read it before diving into the resources directory and datasets like GDELT and OpenElections, so you build good habits around sourcing, cleaning, and citation. For verifying the media that accompanies data stories, pair it with the Verification Handbook.
Access
Available free at its official source.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Data Journalism Handbook?
It is a collaborative, freely available reference gathering practitioner perspectives on data journalism — from finding and cleaning data to analysis, ethics, and storytelling — useful context for working with election datasets.
How does data journalism apply to elections?
Election work often involves messy public data — results, campaign finance, and ad-transparency exports. The handbook's approaches to sourcing, cleaning, and responsibly presenting data help turn those sources into credible findings.