Knowledge-Assisted Visualization and Guidance

Silvia Miksch, Heike Leitte, Min Chen

Abstract: Visualization envisions to intertwine the strengths of humans and computers for effective interactive visual and analytic data analysis and exploration. To this end, humans’ tacit/implicit knowledge from prior experience is an important asset that can be leveraged by both human and computer to improve the visual and analytic exploration processes. However, acquiring, structuring, formalizing, storing, and utilizing implicit and explicit knowledge within the whole visualization process are provocative and widely-discussed research challenge. This chapter elaborates on (1) knowledge-assisted visualization, which aims to incorporate implicit and explicit knowledge as well as information-theoretical considerations into the visualization process to support users for decision making and (2) guidance, which is a computer-assisted process that aims to actively resolve a knowledge gap encountered by users during an interactive visualization session. This chapter ends with critical reflections about applicability, usability, and utility of the proposed knowledge enhanced visualization processes.