Dynamic Queries for Visual Information Seeking

Abstract

This chapter discusses the dynamic queries for visual information seeking (VIS). Dynamic query involves the interactive control by a user of visual query parameters that generate a rapid, animated, and visual display of database search results. The dynamic query approach let users to explore a database rapidly, safely, and even playfully. They can quickly discover whether the sections of a multidimensional search space are densely populated or are sparsely populated; where there are dusters, exceptions, gaps, or outliers; and what trends ordinal data reveal. For data in which there is a known relationship among variables, the dynamic queries interface is useful for training and education by exploration. Furthermore, where there is so much data that even experts have not sorted out the correlations, dynamic queries may help users discover patterns, form and test hypotheses, identify exceptions, segment data, or prepare figures for reports. The dynamic query approach is poorly matched with current hardware and software systems.