E-Grid: a visual analytics system for evaluation structures

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce E-Grid, a visual analytics system to aid in the understanding of human cognitive structures. E-Grid supports an evaluation structure that is a type of cognitive structure extracted using the evaluation grid method (EGM), which is a qualitative research method based on semi-structured interviews. The EGM is used to clarify user requirements in several fields of applications, such as environmental psychology, marketing research, and decision support. The importance of understanding user requirements is increasing in modern society because of the diversity of individual’s senses of values. E-Grid is designed to satisfy the requirements of EGM experts. In E-Grid, graph drawing and network analysis techniques are employed and users can explore an evaluation structure with the support of visual analytics techniques. The performance of E-Grid was evaluated in a case study using real data and feedback from EGM experts. Through this evaluation, it is demonstrated that the features of E-Grid make it an efficient and effective tool for the analysis of evaluation structures.