Document (#35331)

Author

Fabrikant, S.I.
Montello, D.R.
Mark, D.M.

Title

¬The natural landscape metaphor in information visualization : the role of commonsense geomorphology

Source

Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. 61(2010) no.2, S.253-270

Year

2010

Abstract

The landscape metaphor was one of the first methods used by the information visualization community to reorganize and depict document archives that are not inherently spatial. The motivation for the use of the landscape metaphor is that everyone intuitively understands landscapes. We critically examine the information visualization designer's ontologies for implementing spatialized landscapes with ontologies of the geographic domain held by lay people. In the second half of the article, we report on a qualitative study where we empirically assessed whether the landscape metaphor has explanatory power for users trying to make sense of spatialized views, and if so, in what ways. Specifically, we are interested in uncovering how lay people interpret hills and valleys in an information landscape, and whether their interpretation is congruent with the current scientific understanding of geomorphologic processes. Our empirical results suggest that neither developers' nor lay users' understanding of terrain visualizations is based on universal understanding of the true process that has shaped a natural landscape into hills and valleys, mountains, and canyons. Our findings also suggest that the information landscape metaphor for sense making of a document collection is not self-evident to lay users, as claimed by information landscape designers. While a deep understanding of geomorphology will probably not be required to successfully use an information landscape, we do suggest that a coherent theory on how people use space will be necessary to produce cognitively useful information visualizations.

Similar documents (content)

1. Lee, M.; Butler, B.S.: How are information deserts created? : a theory of local information landscapes (2019) 0.18

   0.17796187 = sum of:
     0.17796187 = product of:
       0.6355781 = sum of:
         0.012963861 = weight(abstract_txt:users in 4680) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.012963861 = score(doc=4680,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.05810495 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.2474157 = boost
               3.569778 = idf(docFreq=3384, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.22311112 = fieldWeight in 4680, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               3.569778 = idf(docFreq=3384, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0625 = fieldNorm(doc=4680)
         0.0107229 = weight(abstract_txt:that in 4680) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.0107229 = score(doc=4680,freq=2.0), product of:
             0.051199425 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.6559688 = boost
               2.3694751 = idf(docFreq=11241, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.20943399 = fieldWeight in 4680, product of:
               1.4142135 = tf(freq=2.0), with freq of:
                 2.0 = termFreq=2.0
               2.3694751 = idf(docFreq=11241, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0625 = fieldNorm(doc=4680)
         0.04807576 = weight(abstract_txt:people in 4680) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.04807576 = score(doc=4680,freq=2.0), product of:
             0.11049205 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.7201651 = boost
               4.922663 = idf(docFreq=874, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.43510607 = fieldWeight in 4680, product of:
               1.4142135 = tf(freq=2.0), with freq of:
                 2.0 = termFreq=2.0
               4.922663 = idf(docFreq=874, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0625 = fieldNorm(doc=4680)
         0.1871009 = weight(abstract_txt:landscapes in 4680) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.1871009 = score(doc=4680,freq=2.0), product of:
             0.23881803 = queryWeight, product of:
               2.0648692 = boost
               8.863674 = idf(docFreq=16, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.7834455 = fieldWeight in 4680, product of:
               1.4142135 = tf(freq=2.0), with freq of:
                 2.0 = termFreq=2.0
               8.863674 = idf(docFreq=16, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0625 = fieldNorm(doc=4680)
         0.03546341 = weight(abstract_txt:understanding in 4680) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.03546341 = score(doc=4680,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.12509026 = queryWeight, product of:
               2.1134195 = boost
               4.5360413 = idf(docFreq=1287, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.28350258 = fieldWeight in 4680, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               4.5360413 = idf(docFreq=1287, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0625 = fieldNorm(doc=4680)
         0.03887825 = weight(abstract_txt:information in 4680) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.03887825 = score(doc=4680,freq=13.0), product of:
             0.07126394 = queryWeight, product of:
               2.2559211 = boost
               2.4209464 = idf(docFreq=10677, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.5455529 = fieldWeight in 4680, product of:
               3.6055512 = tf(freq=13.0), with freq of:
                 13.0 = termFreq=13.0
               2.4209464 = idf(docFreq=10677, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0625 = fieldNorm(doc=4680)
         0.302373 = weight(abstract_txt:landscape in 4680) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.302373 = score(doc=4680,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.6841101 = queryWeight, product of:
               7.4135847 = boost
               7.071914 = idf(docFreq=101, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.44199464 = fieldWeight in 4680, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               7.071914 = idf(docFreq=101, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0625 = fieldNorm(doc=4680)
       0.28 = coord(7/25)
   

2. Savolainen, R.: Information use as gap-bridging : the viewpoint of sense-making methodology (2006) 0.14

   0.13566545 = sum of:
     0.13566545 = product of:
       0.6783272 = sum of:
         0.08407592 = weight(abstract_txt:sense in 5120) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.08407592 = score(doc=5120,freq=5.0), product of:
             0.10323277 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.3575873 = boost
               5.8275905 = idf(docFreq=353, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.81443053 = fieldWeight in 5120, product of:
               2.236068 = tf(freq=5.0), with freq of:
                 5.0 = termFreq=5.0
               5.8275905 = idf(docFreq=353, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0625 = fieldNorm(doc=5120)
         0.04807576 = weight(abstract_txt:people in 5120) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.04807576 = score(doc=5120,freq=2.0), product of:
             0.11049205 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.7201651 = boost
               4.922663 = idf(docFreq=874, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.43510607 = fieldWeight in 5120, product of:
               1.4142135 = tf(freq=2.0), with freq of:
                 2.0 = termFreq=2.0
               4.922663 = idf(docFreq=874, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0625 = fieldNorm(doc=5120)
         0.04024799 = weight(abstract_txt:suggest in 5120) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.04024799 = score(doc=5120,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.12365729 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.8197615 = boost
               5.207682 = idf(docFreq=657, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.32548013 = fieldWeight in 5120, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               5.207682 = idf(docFreq=657, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0625 = fieldNorm(doc=5120)
         0.028528834 = weight(abstract_txt:information in 5120) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.028528834 = score(doc=5120,freq=7.0), product of:
             0.07126394 = queryWeight, product of:
               2.2559211 = boost
               2.4209464 = idf(docFreq=10677, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.40032637 = fieldWeight in 5120, product of:
               2.6457512 = tf(freq=7.0), with freq of:
                 7.0 = termFreq=7.0
               2.4209464 = idf(docFreq=10677, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0625 = fieldNorm(doc=5120)
         0.4773987 = weight(abstract_txt:metaphor in 5120) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.4773987 = score(doc=5120,freq=7.0), product of:
             0.39862204 = queryWeight, product of:
               4.21803 = boost
               7.24254 = idf(docFreq=85, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             1.1976224 = fieldWeight in 5120, product of:
               2.6457512 = tf(freq=7.0), with freq of:
                 7.0 = termFreq=7.0
               7.24254 = idf(docFreq=85, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0625 = fieldNorm(doc=5120)
       0.2 = coord(5/25)
   

3. Pirolli, P.: Information foraging theory : adaptive interaction with information (2007) 0.13

   0.12696199 = sum of:
     0.12696199 = product of:
       0.4534357 = sum of:
         0.011343378 = weight(abstract_txt:users in 4005) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.011343378 = score(doc=4005,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.05810495 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.2474157 = boost
               3.569778 = idf(docFreq=3384, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.19522223 = fieldWeight in 4005, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               3.569778 = idf(docFreq=3384, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0546875 = fieldNorm(doc=4005)
         0.03289991 = weight(abstract_txt:sense in 4005) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.03289991 = score(doc=4005,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.10323277 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.3575873 = boost
               5.8275905 = idf(docFreq=353, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.31869635 = fieldWeight in 4005, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               5.8275905 = idf(docFreq=353, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0546875 = fieldNorm(doc=4005)
         0.017553119 = weight(abstract_txt:that in 4005) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.017553119 = score(doc=4005,freq=7.0), product of:
             0.051199425 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.6559688 = boost
               2.3694751 = idf(docFreq=11241, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.3428382 = fieldWeight in 4005, product of:
               2.6457512 = tf(freq=7.0), with freq of:
                 7.0 = termFreq=7.0
               2.3694751 = idf(docFreq=11241, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0546875 = fieldNorm(doc=4005)
         0.059490718 = weight(abstract_txt:people in 4005) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.059490718 = score(doc=4005,freq=4.0), product of:
             0.11049205 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.7201651 = boost
               4.922663 = idf(docFreq=874, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.53841627 = fieldWeight in 4005, product of:
               2.0 = tf(freq=4.0), with freq of:
                 4.0 = termFreq=4.0
               4.922663 = idf(docFreq=874, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0546875 = fieldNorm(doc=4005)
         0.031030484 = weight(abstract_txt:understanding in 4005) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.031030484 = score(doc=4005,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.12509026 = queryWeight, product of:
               2.1134195 = boost
               4.5360413 = idf(docFreq=1287, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.24806476 = fieldWeight in 4005, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               4.5360413 = idf(docFreq=1287, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0546875 = fieldNorm(doc=4005)
         0.0365417 = weight(abstract_txt:information in 4005) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.0365417 = score(doc=4005,freq=15.0), product of:
             0.07126394 = queryWeight, product of:
               2.2559211 = boost
               2.4209464 = idf(docFreq=10677, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.51276565 = fieldWeight in 4005, product of:
               3.8729835 = tf(freq=15.0), with freq of:
                 15.0 = termFreq=15.0
               2.4209464 = idf(docFreq=10677, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0546875 = fieldNorm(doc=4005)
         0.26457638 = weight(abstract_txt:landscape in 4005) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.26457638 = score(doc=4005,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.6841101 = queryWeight, product of:
               7.4135847 = boost
               7.071914 = idf(docFreq=101, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.3867453 = fieldWeight in 4005, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               7.071914 = idf(docFreq=101, maxDocs=44218)
               0.0546875 = fieldNorm(doc=4005)
       0.28 = coord(7/25)
   

4. Chalmers, M.: Ongoing work on BEAD, an information visualiser (1994) 0.13

   0.12615533 = sum of:
     0.12615533 = product of:
       0.63077664 = sum of:
         0.018784227 = weight(abstract_txt:document in 1067) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.018784227 = score(doc=1067,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.056012124 = queryWeight, product of:
               4.2926083 = idf(docFreq=1642, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.33536002 = fieldWeight in 1067, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               4.2926083 = idf(docFreq=1642, maxDocs=44218)
               0.078125 = fieldNorm(doc=1067)
         0.031123502 = weight(abstract_txt:natural in 1067) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.031123502 = score(doc=1067,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.07842938 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.1833096 = boost
               5.0794845 = idf(docFreq=747, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.39683473 = fieldWeight in 1067, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               5.0794845 = idf(docFreq=747, maxDocs=44218)
               0.078125 = fieldNorm(doc=1067)
         0.016204827 = weight(abstract_txt:users in 1067) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.016204827 = score(doc=1067,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.05810495 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.2474157 = boost
               3.569778 = idf(docFreq=3384, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.2788889 = fieldWeight in 1067, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               3.569778 = idf(docFreq=3384, maxDocs=44218)
               0.078125 = fieldNorm(doc=1067)
         0.030139083 = weight(abstract_txt:information in 1067) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.030139083 = score(doc=1067,freq=5.0), product of:
             0.07126394 = queryWeight, product of:
               2.2559211 = boost
               2.4209464 = idf(docFreq=10677, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.42292193 = fieldWeight in 1067, product of:
               2.236068 = tf(freq=5.0), with freq of:
                 5.0 = termFreq=5.0
               2.4209464 = idf(docFreq=10677, maxDocs=44218)
               0.078125 = fieldNorm(doc=1067)
         0.534525 = weight(abstract_txt:landscape in 1067) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.534525 = score(doc=1067,freq=2.0), product of:
             0.6841101 = queryWeight, product of:
               7.4135847 = boost
               7.071914 = idf(docFreq=101, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.7813435 = fieldWeight in 1067, product of:
               1.4142135 = tf(freq=2.0), with freq of:
                 2.0 = termFreq=2.0
               7.071914 = idf(docFreq=101, maxDocs=44218)
               0.078125 = fieldNorm(doc=1067)
       0.2 = coord(5/25)
   

5. Rorissa, A.; Yuan, X.: Visualizing and mapping the intellectual structure of information retrieval (2012) 0.13

   0.12504573 = sum of:
     0.12504573 = product of:
       0.62522864 = sum of:
         0.009477794 = weight(abstract_txt:that in 2744) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.009477794 = score(doc=2744,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.051199425 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.6559688 = boost
               2.3694751 = idf(docFreq=11241, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.18511525 = fieldWeight in 2744, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               2.3694751 = idf(docFreq=11241, maxDocs=44218)
               0.078125 = fieldNorm(doc=2744)
         0.118681535 = weight(abstract_txt:visualizations in 2744) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.118681535 = score(doc=2744,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.19142938 = queryWeight, product of:
               1.8486866 = boost
               7.935687 = idf(docFreq=42, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.61997557 = fieldWeight in 2744, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               7.935687 = idf(docFreq=42, maxDocs=44218)
               0.078125 = fieldNorm(doc=2744)
         0.086087406 = weight(abstract_txt:visualization in 2744) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.086087406 = score(doc=2744,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.17690632 = queryWeight, product of:
               2.1765883 = boost
               6.228827 = idf(docFreq=236, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.4866271 = fieldWeight in 2744, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               6.228827 = idf(docFreq=236, maxDocs=44218)
               0.078125 = fieldNorm(doc=2744)
         0.033015713 = weight(abstract_txt:information in 2744) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.033015713 = score(doc=2744,freq=6.0), product of:
             0.07126394 = queryWeight, product of:
               2.2559211 = boost
               2.4209464 = idf(docFreq=10677, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.46328777 = fieldWeight in 2744, product of:
               2.4494898 = tf(freq=6.0), with freq of:
                 6.0 = termFreq=6.0
               2.4209464 = idf(docFreq=10677, maxDocs=44218)
               0.078125 = fieldNorm(doc=2744)
         0.37796623 = weight(abstract_txt:landscape in 2744) [ClassicSimilarity], result of:
           0.37796623 = score(doc=2744,freq=1.0), product of:
             0.6841101 = queryWeight, product of:
               7.4135847 = boost
               7.071914 = idf(docFreq=101, maxDocs=44218)
               0.013048505 = queryNorm
             0.5524933 = fieldWeight in 2744, product of:
               1.0 = tf(freq=1.0), with freq of:
                 1.0 = termFreq=1.0
               7.071914 = idf(docFreq=101, maxDocs=44218)
               0.078125 = fieldNorm(doc=2744)
       0.2 = coord(5/25)