Meaning Construction in Data Visualization

Abstract

As a past president of the International Visual Literacy Association, a scholar in visual literacy research, and a professor who has been teaching visual information science since 1999, the author will present her research and teaching experience on the process of meaning construction in data visualization. Tools, software, and technology have been advancing so rapidly to allow information professionals to process and visualize data in many ways desired. Visualization techniques allow a designer to use visual presentations in such as maps, graphs, visual charts, bars along with visual elements of labels, color, line, contrast, distance, space, fonts, and size to create an appropriate visual representation, a visual hierarchy, and a visual highway through data. In this digital data age, the users are the center of data visualization to meet their information needs. This research and presentation will address and share with the library and information professionals the importance and process of meaning construction in data visualization. It is a critical study to analyze how meaning is construction in data visualization to provide insights for the information profession in data visualization for design purposes to understand the users better and serve them well in the global digital data age.