Geovisual Analytics and Storytelling Using HTML5

Abstract

The large and ever-increasing amounts of multivariate, multi-source, time-varying and geospatial digital information represent a major challenge for the analyst. The need to analyze and make decisions based on these information streams, often in time-critical situations, demands efficient, integrated and interactive visualization tools that aid the user to explore, present, collaborate and communicate visually large information spaces. This approach has been encapsulated in the idea of Geovisual Analytics, an interdisciplinary field that facilitates analytical reasoning through highly interactive visual interfaces and creative visualization of complex and dynamic data integrated with storytelling. Collaborative mapping is exemplified in this paper through telling stories about public statistics development over time that could shape, for example, economic growth and well-being. Discoveries are made that leave lasting impressions by stimulating the readers' curiosity making them want to learn more and convey a deeper meaning. In addition, the user can interactively participate in this web-based process which is important to the education and dissemination of public statistics. The storytelling mechanism assists the author to improve a reader's visual knowledge through reflections such as how life is lived by using a variety of demographics, such as healthcare, environment, and educational and economic indicators. Integrated snapshots can be captured at any time during the explorative data analysis process and thus become an important component of a storytelling reasoning process. The public can access Geovisual Analytics applications and explore statistical data relations on their own guided by the stories prepared by the experts. With the associated science of perception and cognition in relation to the use of multivariate spatial-temporal statistical data, this article contributes to the growing interest in visual storytelling engaging the public with new experiences.