Tag Archives: Information Visualization

A Visual Analytics Approach to Dynamic Social Networks

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The visualization and analysis of dynamic networks have become increasingly important in several fields, for instance sociology or economics. The dynamic and multi-relational nature of this data poses the challenge of understanding both its topological structure and how it changes over time. In this paper we propose a visual analytics approach for analyzing dynamic networks that integrates: a dynamic layout with user-controlled trade-off between stability and consistency; three temporal views based on different combinations of node-link diagrams (layer superimposition, layer juxtaposition, and two-and-a-half-dimensional view); the visualization of social network analysis metrics; and specific interaction techniques for tracking node trajectories and node connectivity over time. This integration of visual, interactive, and automatic methods supports the multifaceted analysis of dynamically changing networks.

Semantic Search and Visualization of Time-Series Data

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In the economic and financial analysis domain a quick access to the right information plays a major role. Using current systems, the search for and presentation of data is very cumbersome. The data, mostly in form of time-series, is stored in various databases. In order to retrieve the searched data, the analysts need to know where to search and sometimes even the structure of the database and its coding. Then it is required to export the data, process the data and create a chart to view the data. This might take time from tens of minutes to hours.

In our work we present a first prototype of an integrated search engine that takes as input a natural language query and offers graphic and text output depending on the user task. The system automatically identifies the time-series answers, types of graphical data presentation and shows the results in a web browser and in Excel. The knowledge-based expert system uses domain ontologies for extraction of economic terms in the search queries and specially built data type taxonomy with user task and chart type ontologies for identification of graphic output.

GlobeMash: a Mashup for Accessing GLOBE

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In this paper, we present GlobeMash, a mashup web application that uses standardized data formats like XML, JSON, LOM, SVG, CAM and protocols like SOAP, HTTP, to enable users to access the repositories of the Global Learning Objects Brokered Exchange (GLOBE) consortium. GlobeMash uses the Google Maps API to display the repositories and results on a geographical map, the Timeline API of the SIMILE project and the federated search layer of the GLOBE infrastructure. It enables users to query all the repositories in GLOBE and to get an insight in their search history by visualizing the latter as a combination of an extended tag-cloud and a synchronized timeline.

Liquid Ontologies, Metaperspectives, and Dynamic Viewing of Shared Knowledge

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We believe there is great learning potential in education involving shared, studentgenerated knowledge bases. However, it is not yet clear what architectures are most appropriate for such shared knowledge bases in order to facilitate an effective exchange, collection, organization, and sharing of knowledge. In this paper, we discuss the concepts of “liquid ontologies,” to describe novel, dynamic structures for organizing, sharing and browsing knowledge. Liquid ontologies are flexible knowledge structures that are created by, evolve around and adapt to the learners’ interests and allow for a tighter coupling between the learners’ interests and the viewing and browsing structure of a knowledge sharing system. We present the key ideas behind liquid ontologies, and discuss these characteristics within the context of OpenD, a knowledge sharing environment we developed and its application in graduate courses at a design school.

Visualizing Reuse: More than Meets the Eye

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In this paper we discuss an interactive visualization application that aims to visualize a large repository of small reusable content components that were created by disaggregating legacy content. The purpose of this decomposition is to produce content that can be automatically reused in on-the-fly assemblies of new learning objects. The purpose of the visualization application is to offer insight in the structure of the contents of the repository and to enable access to them in an effective and efficient way.

Toward Synergistic Approaches to Knowledge and Information Visualization

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Two fields of research are heavily interested in developing visualizations for helping users coping with complex tasks and ill-structured subject matter resources: knowledge visualization and information visualization. The goal of knowledge visualization is to assist students in learning and problem solving by providing tools for fostering externalized cognition. The goal of information visualization is to provide knowledge-based access to information resources and help users in making sense of the resources they are looking for in information retrieval. The contribution draws attention to digital concept maps as cognitive tools which may provide a basis for the development of synergistic approaches that may help visualizing, accessing, and managing both knowledge and information and foster resourcebased learning.

Tube Map: Evaluation of a Visual Metaphor for Interfunctional Communication of Complex Projects

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This paper introduces and evaluates the effectiveness of a new visualization method that helps to communicate a complex business process in an organization. A quality development process needed to be established in an education centre for health care professions. Traditional project plans, flyers and mails did not manage to get the attention, present an overview and details and motivate the employees for action. Because visual metaphors are effective for knowledge communication, we developed a customized tube map visualization that illustrates the whole process: Each tube line represents a target group, each station a milestone. The visualization was printed as a poster and located at prominent locations in the organization. The evaluation showed that the tube map visualization is a powerful metaphor to communicate a complex project to different target groups and build up a mutual story. The employees considered it useful because it provides an overview and detailed information in one image and initiates discussions.

GeoLibrary: Metaphor-Based Information and Navigation Space to Access Geodata Archives

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This paper describes a GeoLibrary as metaphor-based information and navigation space to access geodata archives. Books, shelves and further library metaphors are used to present geo datasets. Additionally, a map is used to provide a familiar environment for spatial visualizations and navigation. From the technical point of view, GeoCrystal as innovative information visualization technique is embedded into a 3D information and navigation room of the GeoLibrary to access geo datasets and geodata archives. GeoCrystal provides visualizations not only of search results, but is also useful for query formulation and query modification. Concerning semantic aspects, the structure of the GeoLibrary represents relationships among datasets and geodata archives. This structure is dynamically in the sense of user interests and individual objectives to access the wide range of information spectra of geodata disciplines respectively the individual way to dive into a semantic network for geodata. The paper is structured into three parts: Initially, chapter one and two introduce into the research topic of user guidance to geodata archives and provide a technical state-of-the art analysis within this context. Chapter three describes concepts and methods of the GeoLibrary and GeoCrystal. Finally, chapter four summarizes the most important results and discusses possible technical extensions as well as adoptions to other application fields.

Towards Information Visualization in Cooperative, Evolutionary Knowledge Spaces

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Contemporary knowledge management activities in an enterprise suffer from the discrepancy between the global benefit for the organization and the personal benefit for the individual knowledge worker. To ameliorate this divergence we investigate an evolutionary approach which automatically integrates the structures of individual knowledge workspaces into comprehensive organizational knowledge structures. To enable the individual user to keep an overview over both the personal information space and the various views and structures in the organization, we present a concept for dynamically-configured visualization of multi-layered concept spaces and information structures. This approach will be realized in the newly-started research project EPOS.

Discovering Knowledge Through Visual Analysis

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This paper describes our vision for the near future in digital content analysis as it relates to the creation, verification, and presentation of knowledge. We focus on how visualization enables humans to make discoveries and gain knowledge. Visualization, in this context, is not just the picture representing the data but also a two-way interaction between humans and their information resources for the purposes of knowledge discovery, verification, and the sharing of knowledge with others. We present visual interaction and analysis examples to demonstrate how one current visualization tool analyzes large, diverse collections of text. This is followed by lessons learned and the presentation of a core concept for a new human information discourse.