SGER: Developing Ethnographic Evaluations for Creativity Support Tools

在知识前沿工作的领域专家通常需要使用高级用户界面来实现信息可视化。尽管这些新工具的设计原则正在形成，但PI认为，通过受控实验研究对有效性的评估不足以处理探索性使用，而必须开发基于纵向和人种学策略的新评估方法。此外，PI认为，越来越多的软件工具不仅仅是提高生产率；它们是为了支持创造力而设计的。这位PI认为，他正在开发的一种新的高级可视化工具，以支持对社交网络的探索，属于后一种类型。在这个项目中，他将采用多维度深入的长期案例研究(MILCs)来研究该工具的效力，该工具由4-6名专业社会学家组成的小组使用，他们在马里兰大学新成立的国家恐怖主义研究和应对联盟(START)工作，负责收集数据和分析恐怖组织的社会网络。这是测试和改进可视化工具和评估方法的独特机会。项目成果将通过制定改进的多学科能力评估准则，为在更雄心勃勃的项目中扩大到更大规模的评价奠定基础，这些项目融合了个人和社会的创造力。广泛影响：国际和平研究所正在开发的新工具将对信息可视化设计原则作出贡献。此外，作为该项目的一部分进行的纵向和人种学研究将有助于改进多学科学习中心的方法和国际和平协会的工具。改进的评估方法和新的可视化工具反过来将有利于许多研究和行业团体。

Domain experts who are doing work at the frontiers of knowledge often need to use advanced user interfaces for information visualization. Although principles of design for these new tools are emerging, the PI argues that evaluation of efficacy by controlled experimental studies is inadequate to deal with exploratory usage, rather that new evaluation methods based on longitudinal and ethnographic strategies must be developed. Furthermore, the PI contends that a growing number of software tools do more than increase productivity; they are designed to support creativity. The PI believes that a new advanced visualization tool he is developing to support exploration of social networks falls into this latter category. In this project, he will employ Multi-dimensional In-depth Long-term Case studies (MILCs) to study the tool's efficacy when it is used by a team of 4-6 professional sociologists, working within the newly formed National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland, engaged in the collection of data and analysis of the social networks of terrorist organizations. This represents a unique opportunity to test and refine both the visualization tool and the evaluation methods. Project outcomes will, through development of improved guidelines for conducting MILCs, lay the foundation for scaling up to larger evaluations in more ambitious projects that blend individual and social creativity.Broader Impacts: The new tool the PI is developing will make contributions to information visualization design principles. In addition, the longitudinal and ethnographic studies to be conducted as part of this project will lead to refinement of both the MILC approach and the PI's tool. The improved evaluation methods and new visualization tool will, in turn, be of benefit to numerous research and industry groups.