Exploring Emerging Opportunities in Visualization Comprehension Research

The image shows a network diagram of how concepts of visualization literacy, graphical perception, sensemaking, and insight relate to one another. Graphical literacy and perception influence sensemaking, and sensemaking leads to insight.
Illustration of how research streams —Visualization Literacy, Graphical Perception, Sensemaking, and Insight — connect with each other in visual comprehension. The solid lines represent relationships supported by literature, while the dotted lines highlight emerging research opportunities.
Abstract
Enhancing visualization comprehension has been approached through multiple research streams, with significant contributions from areas such as visualization literacy, sensemaking, insight, and graphical perception. While each of these streams independently enhances specific aspects of viewers understanding, they have tended to remain distinct. In this paper, first, we describe the distinct streams of visualization comprehension research and elucidate the interplay between them. Then, we provide design considerations that emerge from these streams. We also outline research opportunities within and at the intersections of these streams. By exploring these connections, we aim to provide a broader perspective on how different approaches to visualization comprehension can inform one another and enhance user engagement with visual data.
Materials
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Authors
Maryam Rezaie
Sheelagh Carpendale
Citation

Khoury Vis Lab — Northeastern University
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