SGER: Developing Ethnographic Evaluations for Creativity Support Tools

从事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。虽然这些新工具的设计原则正在出现，但PI认为，通过对照实验研究来评估有效性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所做的不仅仅是提高生产力；它们的设计是为了支持创造力。PI认为，他正在开发的一种支持社交网络探索的新型高级可视化工具属于后一类。在这个项目中，他将采用多维深度长期案例研究（milc）来研究该工具在由4-6名专业社会学家组成的团队中使用时的功效，这些社会学家在马里兰大学新成立的国家恐怖主义和恐怖主义反应研究联盟（START）中工作，从事恐怖组织社会网络的数据收集和分析。这为测试和改进可视化工具和评估方法提供了一个独特的机会。项目成果将通过制定更完善的多指标综合评估准则，为扩大对更宏大的、融合个人和社会创造力的项目进行更大规模的评估奠定基础。更广泛的影响：PI正在开发的新工具将对信息可视化设计原则做出贡献。此外，作为该项目的一部分进行的纵向和人种学研究将导致对MILC方法和PI工具的改进。改进的评价方法和新的可视化工具将反过来对许多研究和工业团体有益。

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.