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Visualize Researcher-Partner Alignment (Abacus Plot)

Source: R/visualize_alignment_abacus.R
visualize_abacus.Rd

Creates a "Single Rail Abacus" plot to visualize alignment. This method places "beads" (representing ratings) onto category "rails," providing a clear view of both central tendency and divergence on a linear scale.

Usage

visualize_abacus(
  analysis_object,
  project_title = "Project Alignment Visualization",
  point_size = 5
)

Arguments

analysis_object

An object of class alignment_analysis produced by analyze_alignment.

project_title

String. The title of the plot. Defaults to "Project Alignment Visualization".

point_size

Numeric. The size of the main median bead. Defaults to 5.

Value

A ggplot2 object.

Details

Methodology: Inspired by the "Degree of Collaboration Tool" (Doberneck & Dann, 2019), this visualization maps multiple dimensions of a project onto horizontal tracks (0 to 1). It is adapted here for the CEnTR*IMPACT framework (Price, 2024) to show the consensus and spread of survey ratings.

Visual Elements:

  • Rails: Horizontal gray bars representing the full continuum of possible agreement (0 to 1).

  • Solid Beads: The median rating for each group (Researchers vs. Partners).

  • Transparent Beads: The minimum and maximum ratings, showing the spread or disagreement within a group.

  • Overall Square: The geometric mean (consensus) rating.

This format is particularly useful for identifying "outliers" (individuals who rated extremely high or low) relative to the group's median.

References

Doberneck, D. M., & Dann, S. L. (2019). The Degree of Collaboration Tool. Engagement Scholarship. Available at: https://engagementscholarship.org/upload/eesw/2022/2-5%20%20Doberneck%20_%20Dann%20(2019)%20The%20Degree%20of%20Collaboration%20Tool.pdf

Price, J. F. (2024). CEnTR*IMPACT: Community Engaged and Transformative Research – Inclusive Measurement of Projects & Community Transformation. CUMU. Available at: https://cumuonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024-CUMU-Collaboratory-Fellowship-Report.pdf

Examples

# 1. Generate and analyze data
data <- generate_alignment_data()
results <- analyze_alignment(data)

# 2. Create the abacus visualization
p <- visualize_abacus(results, project_title = "Partnership Alignment")

# 3. Display the plot
print(p)