Automating statistical diagrammatic representations with data characterization. (October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Millán-Martínez, Pere; Valero-Mora, Pedro
• Is Part Of: Information visualization. Volume 17:Number 4(2018)
• Page Start: 316
• Page End: 334
• Publication Date: 2018-10
• Subjects: Automated design -- graphic design -- statistical graphics -- information visualization -- graphic user interface -- statistical graphics taxonomy; Information visualization -- Periodicals; 006.605
• DOI: 10.1177/1473871617715326
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1473-8716

Abstract

The search for an efficient method to enhance data cognition is especially important when managing data from multidimensional databases. Open data policies have dramatically increased not only the volume of data available to the public, but also the need to automate the translation of data into efficient graphical representations. Graphic automation involves producing an algorithm that necessarily contains inputs derived from the type of data. A set of rules are then applied to combine the input variables and produce a graphical representation. Automated systems, however, fail to provide an efficient graphical representation because they only consider either a one-dimensional characterization of variables, which leads to an overwhelmingly large number of available solutions, a compositional algebra that leads to a single solution, or requires the user to predetermine the graphical representation. Therefore, we propose a multidimensional characterization of statistical variables that when complemented with a catalog of graphical representations that match any single combination, presents the user with a more specific set of suitable graphical representations to choose from. Cognitive studies can then determine the most efficient perceptual procedures to further shorten the path to the most efficient graphical representations. The examples used herein are limited to graphical representations with three variables given that the number of combinations increases drastically as the number of selected variables increases.