Systematic yet flexible discovery: guiding domain experts through exploratory data analysis

TitleSystematic yet flexible discovery: guiding domain experts through exploratory data analysis
Publication TypeConference Papers
Year of Publication2008
AuthorsPerer A, Shneiderman B
Conference NameProceedings of the 13th international conference on Intelligent user interfaces
Date Published2008///
PublisherACM
Conference LocationNew York, NY, USA
ISBN Number978-1-59593-987-6
Keywordsexploratory data analysis, guides, Information Visualization, social networks, systematic yet flexible, wizards
Abstract

During exploratory data analysis, visualizations are often useful for making sense of complex data sets. However, as data sets increase in size and complexity, static information visualizations decrease in comprehensibility. Interactive techniques can yield valuable discoveries, but current data analysis tools typically support only opportunistic exploration that may be inefficient and incomplete. We present a refined architecture that uses systematic yet flexible (SYF) design goals to guide domain expert users through complex exploration of data over days, weeks and months. The SYF system aims to support exploratory data analysis with some of the simplicity of an e-commerce check-out while providing added flexibility to pursue insights. The SYF system provides an overview of the analysis process, suggests unexplored states, allows users to annotate useful states, supports collaboration, and enables reuse of successful strategies. The affordances of the SYF system are demonstrated by integrating it into a social network analysis tool employed by social scientists and intelligence analysts. The SYF system is a tool-independent component and can be incorporated into other data analysis tools.

URLhttp://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1378773.1378788
DOI10.1145/1378773.1378788