Exploratory Visualization with Multiple Linked Views

Exploratory visualization enables the user to test scenarios and investigate possibilities. Through an exploration the user may change various parameter values of a visualization system that in turn alters the appearance of the visual result. For example, the changes made may update what information is being displayed, the quantity or resolution of the information, the type of the display (say) from scatter plot to line-graph. Furthermore, the user may generate additional windows that contain the visual result of the new parameters so they can compare different ideas side-by-side (these multiple views may persist such that the user can compare previous incarnations). Commonly these windows are linked together to allow further investigation and discovery, such as selecting by brushing or combined navigation. There are many challenges, such as linking multiple views with different data, initializing the different views, indicating to the user how the different views are linked. This chapter provides a review of current Multiple Linked-View tools, methodologies and models, discusses related challenges and ideas, and provides some rudiments for coordination within a geovisualization context. The types and uses of coordination for exploratory visualization are varied and diverse, these ideas are underused in geovisualization and exploratory visualization in general. Thus, further research needs to occur to develop specific geovisualization reference models and extensible systems that incorporate the rich variety of possible coordination exploration ideas.