Guest Editors’ Introduction: Special Section on InfoVis

Abstract

HREE papers in this issue of TVCG are expanded versions of ones presented at InfoVis 2004. These examples of the cutting edge of information visualization research show the maturing of the field, using novel methods for designing, developing, and evaluating tools that help users solve real problems on large and complex data sets, rather than just creating interesting displays. “Knowledge Precepts for Design and Evaluation of Information Visualizations” by Robert A. Amar and John T. Stasko won the InfoVis 2004 Best Paper Award. In this paper, the authors argue that efforts to date to design effective visualization tools often fail because they concentrate mostly on presenting data, as opposed to supporting analysis. Limitations of existing systems are grouped into two gaps in the analysis process; the Worldview Gap consists of the difference between what is shown and what is needed to make decisions, while the Rationale Gap consists of the difference between relationships viewed and the certainty and utility of the relationship. Analysis of existing tools using this framework reveals many ways in which techniques can be improved to better support high-level analysis. “An Insight-Based Methodology for Evaluating Bioinformatics Visualizations” by Purvi Saraiya, Chris North, and Karen Duca presents a novel method for assessing and comparing the effectiveness of visualization tools, namely, the number and type of insights discovered. The authors define an insight as a unit of discovery and identify several attributes and categories of insights. They then report the results from controlled experiments used to evaluate five software tools for visual exploration of microarray data. The results shed many insights into what makes a visualization tool effective.