The guys over at Juice Analytics, make an interesting point about reports in this post (linked in the title of this post as well).

The argument, essentially, should you offer more and better data or less information. ‘Just the answer, please’ is another way of saying, I don’t care how you got there, just tell me what it is.

While an over-abundance of data can become like chart-junk you have to include enough for context (so that the answer makes sense).

Here’s the example… if you’ve read Douglas Adams‘ “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” you may remember that there are some pan-dimensional beings masquerading as mice who want Arthur Dent’s brain so that they can launch the Earth Mark II (is this a mashup?) and find out The Question. What’s the Question? Well these mice had already asked ‘Deep Thought’ for the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. Deep Thought, pondered that a bit and just gave the answer - 42. Forty-Two? Well that answer is particularly meaningless without knowing the actual question.

Reports and analyses, at their best, are short cuts. A well-turned report condenses, as much as possible, all of the data and logic that the analyst steps through for an answer into a generally-consumable and understandable form.

So, should you give ‘Just the Answer’?

Yes, and provide enough context that the answer makes sense.

Too much information is just like chart-junk, it distracts from the over all message, too little and there isn’t enough meaning for anyone to make use of.