Distilling meaning from data

摘要

It is a breathtaking time in science as masses of data pour in, promising new insights. But how can we find meaning in these terabytes? To search successfully for new science in large datasets, we must find unexpected patterns and interpret evidence in ways that frame new questions and suggest further explorations. Old habits of representing data can fail to meet these challenges, preventing us from reaching beyond the familiar questions and answers. To extract new meaning from the sea of data, scientists have begun to embrace the tools of visualization. Yet few appreciate that visual representation is also a form of communication. A rich body of communication expertise holds the potential to greatly improve these tools. We propose that graphic artists, communicators and visualization scientists should be brought into conversation with theorists and experimenters before all the data have been gathered. If we design experiments in ways that offer varied opportunities for representing and communicating data, techniques for extracting new understanding can be made available.