Process and Pitfalls in
Writing Information Visualization Research Papers
Chapter from Information Visualization: Human-Centered Issues and Perspectives.
Andreas Kerren, John T. Stasko, Jean-Daniel Fekete,
Chris North, eds.
Springer LNCS Volume 4950, p 134-153, 2008.
Paper
Abstract
The goal of this paper is to help authors recognize and avoid a set of
pitfalls that recur in many rejected information visualization papers,
using a chronological model of the research process. Selecting a
target paper type in the initial stage can avert an inappropriate
choice of validation methods. Pitfalls involving the design of a
visual encoding may occur during the middle stages of a project. In a
later stage when the bulk of the research is finished and the paper
writeup begins, the possible pitfalls are strategic choices for the
content and structure of the paper as a whole, tactical problems
localized to specific sections, and unconvincing ways to present the
results. Final-stage pitfalls of writing style can be checked after a
full paper draft exists, and the last set of problems pertain to
submission.
Update
The paper includes some pointers to design studies, but my list of
favorite examples keeps changing as we grow as a field - design
studies have improved dramatically in recent years, as our
understanding of how to create them evolves! My current list of
favorite examples, in chronological order, is below. (It's definitely
biased towards my own work since I know it the best.)
- BallotMaps:
Detecting Name Bias in Alphabetically Ordered Ballot Papers. Jo
Wood, Donia Badawood, Jason Dykes, Aidan Slingsby. IEEE
TVCG 17(12): 2384-2391 (Proc InfoVis 2011).
- MulteeSum: A Tool for
Comparative Temporal Gene Expression and Spatial Data. Miriah
Meyer, Tamara Munzner, Angela DePace and Hanspeter Pfister. IEEE
Trans. Visualization and Computer Graphics 16(6):908-917 (Proc.
InfoVis 2010), 2010.
- Pathline: A Tool for
Comparative Functional Genomics. Miriah Meyer, Bang Wong, Tamara
Munzner, Mark Styczynski and Hanspeter Pfister. Computer Graphics
Forum (Proc. EuroVis 2010), 29(3):1043-1052
- SignalLens:
Focus+Context Applied to Electronic Time Series. Robert Kincaid.
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (Proc.
InfoVis 2010), 16(6):900-907, 2010.
- ABySS-Explorer:
Visualizing genome sequence assemblies. Cydney B. Nielsen, Shaun
D. Jackman, Inanc Birol, Steven J.M. Jones. IEEE Transactions on
Visualization and Computer Graphics (Proc InfoVis 2009) 15(6):881-8,
2009.
- Interactive
Coordinated Multiple-View Visualization of Biomechanical Motion
Data. Daniel F. Keefe, Marcus Ewert, William Ribarsky, Remco
Chang. IEEE Trans. Visualization and Computer Graphics (Proc. Vis
2009), 15(6):1383-1390, 2009.
- MizBee: A
Multiscale Synteny Browser. Miriah Meyer, Tamara Munzner, and
Hanspeter Pfister. IEEE Trans. Visualization and Computer Graphics
(Proc. InfoVis 09), 15(6):897-904, 2009.
- MassVis:
Visual Analysis of Protein Complexes Using Mass Spectrometry.
Robert Kincaid and Kurt Dejgaard. IEEE Symp Visual Analytics Science
and Technology (VAST 2009), p 163-170, 2009.
- Cerebral:
Visualizing Multiple Experimental Conditions on a Graph with
Biological Context. Aaron Barsky, Tamara Munzner, Jennifer L.
Gardy, and Robert Kincaid. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and
Computer Graphics (Proc. InfoVis 2008) 14(6) (Nov-Dec) 2008, p
1253-1260.
- LiveRAC -
Interactive Visual Exploration of System Management Time-Series
Data. Peter McLachlan, Tamara Munzner, Eleftherios Koutsofios,
Stephen North. Proc. Conf. on Human Factors in Computing Systems
(CHI) 2008, pp 1483-1492.
- Visual Exploration and Analysis of Historic Hotel Visits. Chris
Weaver, David Fyfe, Anthony Robinson, Deryck W. Holdsworth, Donna J.
Peuquet and Alan M. MacEachren. Information Visualization (Special
Issue on Visual Analytics), Feb 2007.
- Session
Viewer: Visual Exploratory Analysis of Web Session Logs. Heidi
Lam, Daniel Russell, Diane Tang, and Tamara Munzner. Proc. IEEE
Symposium on Visual Analytics Science and Technology (VAST), p
147-154, 2007.
- Exploratory
visualization of array-based comparative genomic hybridization.
Robert Kincaid, Amir Ben-Dor, and Zohar Yakhini. Information
Visualization (2005) 4, 176-190.
- Coordinated
Graph and Scatter-Plot Views for the Visual Exploration of Microarray
Time-Series Data Paul Craig and Jessie Kennedy, Proc. InfoVis
2003, p 173-180.
- Cluster and
Calendar based Visualization of Time Series Data. Jarke J. van
Wijk and Edward R. van Selow, Proc. InfoVis 1999, p 4-9.
- Constellation: A
Visualization Tool For Linguistic Queries from MindNet. Tamara
Munzner, Francois Guimbretiere, and George Robertson. Proc. InfoVis
1999, p 132-135.
Pitfalls List
- Type Pitfalls
- Design in Technique's Clothing
- Application Bingo versus Design Study
- All That Coding Means I Deserve A Systems Paper
- Neither Fish Nor Fowl
- Visual Encoding Pitfalls
- Unjustified Visual Encoding
- Hammer In Search Of Nail
- 2D Good, 3D Better
- Color Cacophony
- Rainbows Just Like In The Sky
- Strategy Pitfalls
- What I Did Over My Summer Vacation
- Least Publishable Unit
- Dense As Plutonium
- Bad Slice and Dice
- Tactical Pitfalls
- Stealth Contributions
- I Am So Unique
- Enumeration Without Justification
- Sweeping Assertions
- I Am Utterly Perfect
- Results Pitfalls
- Unfettered By Time
- Fear and Loathing of Complexity
- Straw Man Comparison
- Tiny Toy Datasets
- But My Friends Liked It
- Unjustified Tasks
- Writing Style Pitfalls
- Deadly Detail Dump
- Story-Free Captions
- My Picture Speaks For Itself
- Grammar is Optional
- Mistakes Were Made
- Jargon Attack
- Nonspecific Use Of Large
- Submissions Pitfalls
- Slimy Simultaneous Submission
- Resubmit Unchanged
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Last modified: Sat Feb 2 15:53:53 PST 2019