Does the Orientation of an Euler Diagram Affect User Comprehension?

Euler diagrams, which form the basis of numerous visual languages, can be an effective representation of information when they are both well-matched and well-formed. However, being well-matched and well-formed alone does not imply effectiveness. Other diagrammatical properties need to be considered. Information visualization theorists have known for some time that orientation has the potential to affect our interpretation of diagrams. This paper begins by explaining why well-matched and well-formed drawing principles are insufficient and discusses why we should study the orientation of Euler diagrams. To this end an empirical study is presented, designed to observe the effect of orientation upon the comprehension of Euler diagrams. The paper concludes that the orientation of Euler diagrams does not significantly affect comprehension.