The impact of interactive visualization on trade-off-based geospatial decision-making. Issue 10 (3rd October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Milutinović, Goran; Ahonen-Jonnarth, Ulla; Seipel, Stefan; Brandt, Sven Anders
• Is Part Of: International journal of geographical information science. Volume 33:Issue 10(2019)
• Page Start: 2094
• Page End: 2123
• Publication Date: 2019-10-03
• Subjects: GIS decision-making -- tradeoffs -- GISwaps -- interactive visualization; Geography -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Information storage and retrieval systems -- Periodicals; Géomatique -- Périodiques; Systèmes d'information -- Périodiques; 910.285
• DOI: 10.1080/13658816.2019.1613547
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1365-8816

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In a previous work we developed GISwaps, a novel method for geospatial decision-making based on Even Swaps. In this paper, we present the results of an evaluation of a visualization framework integrated with this method, implemented within a decision support system. This evaluation is based on two different studies. In the quantitative study, 15 student participants used GISwaps with no visual features, and 15 participants used GISwaps with the integrated visual framework, as the tool in a solar farm site location case study. The results of the quantitative evaluation show positive impact of the visualization in terms of increased coherency in trade-offs. The results also show a statistically significant difference in average trade-off values between the groups, with users from the non-visual group setting on average 20% higher trade-off values compared with the users in the visual group. In the qualitative study, we had one expert in GIS, two experts in decision-making and two experts in solar energy as a focus user group. Data in this study were obtained by observations and semi-structured interviews with the participants. The impact of the visualization framework was assessed positively by all participants in the expert group.