Effects of visualization and note-taking on sensemaking and analysis

  • Authors:
  • Nitesh Goyal;Gilly Leshed;Susan R. Fussell

  • Affiliations:
  • Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA;Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA;Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
  • Year:
  • 2013

Quantified Score

Hi-index 0.01

Visualization

Abstract

Many sophisticated tools have been developed to help analysts detect patterns in large datasets, but the value of these tools' individual features is rarely tested. In an experiment in which participants played detectives solving homicides, we tested the utility of a visualization of data links and a notepad for collecting and organizing annotations. The visualization significantly improved participants' ability to solve the crime whereas the notepad did not. Having both features available provided no benefit over having just the visualization. The results raise questions about the potential constraints on the usefulness of intelligence analysis tools.